Armada
by Caseorogue
Summary: While a young pirate goes on an adventure to save the world, a dozen different stories play out unseen behind the curtains.
1. Of Red and Gold

"Bel!" At the word, the young redhead's eyes snapped up to the man who'd spoken it. He was a gruff-looking man, maybe in his mid-forties, and the expression on his face betrayed his disinterest in the topic at hand as he spoke. "Get those two crates of loqua to the bar, then you're done for the night." He said shortly before turning to address two more bedraggled-looking youths.

The girl sighed as she eyed up the two crates she'd been assigned to carry. Both looked fairly heavy, and she could tell already that her back would be protesting once she was done delivering them. Still, there was nothing for it but to follow the man's orders. She needed every scrap of gold she could get to survive in this town.

With a grunt of effort, she hauled the stacked crates off the stone-paved floor and set off in the direction of the bar. She'd delivered there enough times to know exactly where it was. She knew lower city like the back of her hand.

Lower city Valua had been her home for all sixteen years of her life. Her emerald eyes gleamed in the flickering light of the lanterns that intermittently lined the streets as she carefully observed the area for anything amiss. This was the poorest part of Valua, and living here taught you a couple important things about survival.

Never look like you have gold. Even if you don't, always be on the lookout for people looking to mug you anyways. And lastly, don't talk to the guards. They're not there to protect you.

As she turned down a narrow walkway, someone else came into view walking the other way. In the low light, she couldn't tell if they were armed. She slowed her pace as she pulled to one side, expecting them to do the same. They didn't draw any weapons or assume a threatening stance; all the same, they kept on walking straight down the middle of the alley.

"Watch out!" She snapped, just as the stranger bumped into her, jostling the crates slung over her arms and forcing her to stumble to keep her balance. Fortunately, she managed to avoid dropping either of them, and she levelled a glare at the stranger as she recovered.

"I'm sorry…" They said. Almost immediately, her curiosity was piqued. It was a boy who looked to be around her age, maybe slightly younger. He had a hood pulled over his golden hair, and his blue eyes were piercing even in the low light. He didn't look like any lower city dweller she'd ever seen before.

That worried her. If they didn't look beat down, they were probably looking to beat someone else down. "Whatever." She said as she turned partway away from him, intent on walking away as quickly as she could.

"Wait!" He said, quickly catching up to her and grabbing her arm. She flinched, resisting the urge to pull away. She couldn't afford to pay for the loqua if she dropped it.

"What is it?" She said, trying her best to keep the venom out of her tone. She wasn't an optimist, not after living here for so long, but she could still entertain the vaguest hope that this person was not here to cause trouble for her.

"Uhm… Do you need help carrying those crates? They look really heavy." She blinked in surprise at the question. It wasn't what she was expecting from someone she'd bump into in a poorly-lit alleyway. It made her suspicious, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What's to stop you from just running off with them once I hand them over?" She said seriously.

"What?! I wouldn't-" He started to protest, but quickly caught himself as realization began to dawn on his face. He was quiet for a moment before giving her a sheepish smile. "I guess it's not unusual to expect treachery in a town like this, huh?"

What was his angle? Her arms were starting to get tired, and she couldn't think of a convenient way to get out of this discussion. Now that she gave him a closer look, she could see, too, that he had a small sword dangling from his hip. If he really wanted to rob her, he could just run her through and leave with the goods.

She heaved a sigh as she shifted her position to face him again. "Fine. If you want to help me carry this crap, you can. But if you start running, I'm going to catch you and beat you senseless." She warned him.

That got a smile from him. "I won't disappoint you." He said as he grabbed one of the crates and took it in his arms. She suppressed a chuckle as he visibly wobbled while adjusting to the weight. "These are a lot heavier than I thought…" He admitted with strain in his voice.

"Why do you think they pay me to carry them?" She asked, smirking. "We're heading to the bar a little ways down the street. Do you know the place?"

"The bar…" He said, looking thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "I think I saw it on my way here. I suppose you want me to lead the way?"

She nodded curtly. "Lets me keep an eye on you."

He huffed a breath that might've been laughter, before moving past her back towards the way he'd come. She began following him once he'd gotten a few steps ahead of her. The pace was faster with each of them carrying a lighter load, and in only a few minutes they reached the bar. "Take them up to the counter." She instructed her would-be helper as they entered.

He set his crate down first, and she followed suit moments later. The barkeep gave her a look. "Delivery from Jorval company." She said. At that, the barkeep nodded.

"Good. That's all I need. I'll make sure they get their payments on time." He said, giving them a dismissive wave of his hand.

That meant her work day was over, then. She was just about to head out the door without a second thought when she realized her companion of the last few minutes was standing in the middle of the room, looking around as if it were a tourist attraction. The barflies scattered around the room were beginning to glare at him.

Part of her wanted to leave him to get what was coming to him. Anyone that oblivious in this town probably needed a lesson, anyways.

But she couldn't do that. Not yet. She'd need a few more years to become that cynical. She backpedaled a few steps, snatched his hand, and tugged him out of the bar and back out into the street. He stumbled a short ways before managing to match her pace, and as soon as they stopped, he yanked his hand away, giving her a confused look.

"What was that about?" He said, a note of irritation in his voice.

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "You don't know? You were pissing off half the bar, giving them looks like that. You need to keep to yourself in this town."

He looked befuddled as he glanced back at the bar, before turning his attention back to her. "Was I really being that much of a bother…?" He heaved a sigh as his eyes went to her feet. "I'm sorry."

What was with this kid? "Quit apologizing." She said, taking a seat on a nearby bench. It creaked a little as she sat down. It probably hadn't been derusted in months. "You aren't from lower city, are you?" She asked.

He eyed her for a moment before sitting down on the other side of the bench. "No, I guess I'm not." He turned his head to look at her. "Out of curiosity, what gave me away?"

She raised a hand and began listing things off on her fingertips. "You're too clean - your face should have some grime. Your clothes are all new. You don't look around enough. You stare a lot, and you've got this, this… _hopeful_ look in your eyes."

He eyed her for several seconds before frowning. "What kind of nightmare must you be living?"

That caught her off guard, and she stared at him for a moment as she lowered her hand. "I'm just living lower city, like most of Valua." Her eyes narrowed again as she watched him. "I'm guessing you're from upper city. A runaway?"

A small smile graced his lips as he looked away. "Something like that." He turned back to her as he extended a hand to her. "I'm… Henri."

She eyed his hand for a long moment before reaching out to take it, shaking it briefly. "Belleza." She replied.

His smile was wider now. "It's nice to meet you, Belleza." Slowly, the smile faded as he moved on to his next question. "So you've lived in lower city your whole life?"

All this time, she'd been watching him for an angle. She knew that just about anyone she met in lower city was probably looking to get something out of her, and this boy was likely no different. Still… it was hard to deny the sympathy in his eyes. Something about him told her she was dealing with a kind of person she hadn't seen in a long time.

She looked away. She didn't want to keep looking him in the eyes. "Yeah, I have."

He went quiet. Maybe, despite his lack of subtlety, he could tell she didn't want to elaborate. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. "It must be very hard for you here."

She turned her head to glare at him once more. "Of course it is. It's hard for everyone." She leaned closer, raising her voice. "Why did you come here, rich boy? This isn't the town for you."

He flinched, and pulled away. The pained look on his face made her regret her anger very quickly. Could she afford to retract her words now, though? "Because… I wanted to see with my own eyes what the real people of Valua go through every day. I don't want to close myself off from the real problems of the world." His voice was heavy with sadness as he spoke.

She shivered a little at that tone, and pulled away further to her side of the bench. Any anger that had been in her voice was now replaced with a similar sorrow to his own. "And just what does any of that do for the people living here?" She asked.

He caught her eyes with his, and she was surprised to see the determination in them. She thought she could see the flicker of a smile forming on his face, but it didn't reach his lips. "More than you might think."

Part of her wanted to believe him. But she'd been living in this town long enough to be wary of hope, even if she hadn't lost it all yet. "Whatever." She said. Her voice wasn't as harsh as the last time she'd said it.

The boy turned his head to look up above them. Through a crack in the ever-present storm clouds hanging above Valua, a glimpse of the yellow moon told him that time had passed quickly since he'd met Belleza.

She followed his eyes, quickly coming to the same conclusion, and glanced back at him after a moment. "Time for you to go?" She inquired.

He nodded slowly as he got back on his feet again. "I'm afraid so. I'll be missed if I'm not home soon." He gave her another one of those small smiles. "If it's not too much of a bother, Belleza, I'd like to see you again sometime."

She leaned back on the bench as she looked him up and down once more. His clothes were fine, but carefully selected, like he'd had some idea of how he should look coming here, but not quite enough of one. His posture was good, and the way he set his feet told her he wasn't bad in a fight, either. There was more to this boy than he was letting on.

"Maybe I wouldn't mind." She admitted. Before he could turn away, however, she raised a hand. "But… on one condition."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And that is?"

"Tell me your real name."

His face paled a bit. "Wow… You're even sharper than I thought." He said. She could hear some approval in his tone. He turned away from her enough that all she could see was his a hint of his smile past his hood. "Alright… My name is Enrique."

It was her turn to grow pale. Enrique. Sure, it could be someone with the same name, but the aura he projected…

"I'll see you again soon, Belleza." He said, waving goodbye to her as he walked away and around a corner, out of sight.

She watched him go, then turned to stare up at the yellow moon once more.

Enrique - Prince Enrique, crown prince of Valua, son of Empress Teodora I. What was he doing in lower city? What interest did he have in her?

And why did she think that for once, this was someone who wasn't out to get her?

* * *

Belleza and Enrique walked side by side through the streets towards the industrial district, chatting quietly as they passed the occasional lower city denizen on their way.

"You probably know this, but most of the moonstone processing in Valua is done around here. Without lower city, nobody here would have fuel." She explained as they went.

Enrique nodded under his hood. He'd swapped out the finer clothes for something more deliberately worn and tattered. If someone looked for too long, they might get the impression that it was still a little too clean, but it was a lot better than what he'd been wearing before. "Most of our airship parts are manufactured here, too, from what I've read."

Belleza smirked at him. "So you're not one of those rich kids who eats when he should be reading."

He laughed a little. "I wouldn't exactly be qualified for my job if I didn't keep up with my studies. I need to know Valua inside and out."

"Some rulers would disagree with you." She said, not without a hint of sadness. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you." She admitted after a moment.

Belleza was still getting used to him. They'd met twice now since their first meeting; this would be the third time. In the week and a half it took him to visit her again after the first time, she'd almost begun to believe it was all an elaborate prank. That doubt, at least, had faded when he'd found her again in the same alleyway they'd met in the first time.

It was hard to dispel her doubts. Very, very few people in her life had ever shown a care for anything beyond their next paycheck. She'd grown up around violence, decay and the constant threat of starvation. Enrique was something new to her.

It was clear to her, by now, that he meant her no harm. She possessed nothing so valuable as to merit multiple weeks of observing her and her surroundings. But still, it was difficult to get to the point of _trusting_ him. She could believe that he wasn't trying to hurt her. But it was a very different thing to accept that he had truly noble intentions; that he could actually understand what she'd been through.

Doubts like these gnawed at her as they made their way through a small metal arch that indicated the beginning of the industrial district. She quickly turned a left and began climbing a steep staircase cut into a rock wall. "We're almost there." She assured him.

"Looking forward to it!" He replied. She smiled to herself. To his credit, Enrique certainly seemed to trust _her_. Since that first meeting, he'd never questioned anything she'd said to him. She reflected that it would be painfully easy to hurt him, or steal from him. If it had been someone else he'd decided to place his trust in, he very well could've been dead by now.

But she wasn't the kind of person to exploit someone like that, and so he carried on living and enjoying her company. Her breathing was a little heavy by the time they reached the top of the stairs. The building at the top was locked, but that wasn't her destination, anyways. She turned away from it and strode to the edge of the tall rock outcropping they now found themselves perched on.

"Welcome to the best view in lower city." She said, extending her arms to either side as if to present the smoggy vista to him like a work of art.

Enrique was breathing just as hard as he joined her at the landing on top of the stairs, and she watched him as he surveyed the view of the industrial district and the few unlucky portions of the residential district that bordered it. Distantly, through the smog, could be seen the glimmering lights of upper city - and between here and there, the empty void of sky that separated the two shores.

"It's beautiful." Enrique said, with just a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm sorry it doesn't sparkle the way you imagined it would." She shot back as she sat down on the worn tiling beneath her, staring out into the distance.

Enrique shook his head as he sat down beside her. "I didn't ask to come here for something to paint. I just wanted to see the city." He turned his head to smile at her. "I appreciate you taking me up here." He said, waving a hand in front of his face after a moment. "Even if it is a little hard to breathe."

She shrugged. "The people who live close to here breathe this every day. I don't think they even notice anymore."

Enrique frowned miserably at that. "Until they get sick."

Belleza nodded, giving him a look. "Right. Then they die."

He looked like he might be a little sick himself as he considered that. "Right…"

Silence fell between them. Belleza felt a little bad. Though they got along well enough, their more serious conversations often seemed to reach these kinds of standstills. She knew it was, in part, because she always took the offensive when talking about the problems lower city faced. She treated things like they were his fault, and he didn't know how to handle it yet.

As she watched him, Enrique's eyes swept slowly over the city and the smoke-covered factories. That sympathetic, sad look was back. On most rich folks, she'd probably have been happy to see that expression. On him, however, it just made her unhappy. She'd let it slide all the other times she'd seen it, but now it was starting to eat at her.

"Why are you so interested in lower city? I get that you want to understand what it's like down here, but I don't really think this is standard for people in your position. You've even admitted you have to sneak out to get here. You're not _supposed_ to be here." She said, staring at him. It wasn't an accusing look; just a questioning one.

Enrique scratched his head for a moment before meeting her eyes. "Well, my uncle Gregorio… well, I guess he's not really my uncle, but he helped raise me - Gregorio is an honorable man, and a thoughtful one. He grew up in lower city, too. I think he's a big part of why I am who I am, and why I want to know what others are going through in this kingdom I'm supposed to rule someday."

She stared at him harder. "Gregorio? You mean the ironwall admiral? _That_ Gregorio?"

He smiled wistfully. "Yeah, that's the one. He's a lot nicer than he looks. It's why he commands the defensive fleet, rather than one of the more aggressive ones…"

Belleza sighed as she set her forehead in one hand. "You really have lived a life I can't even begin to understand, Enrique."

She could feel his eyes still on her. She could picture the smile he'd be giving her about now. "And I could say the same about you, Bella. All the more reason for me to keep coming here. I can't be a good ruler if I don't understand my own people."

She lifted her head and glared at him. "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?"

His smile turned sheepish. "Maybe fifteen times? I'm starting to lose count."

"Yet you keep doing it."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on. It's perfect. It describes you exactly." He said.

"Whatever…" She said, quickly looking away as his smile continued to grow warmer. Her cheeks felt just a little hot. She sighed and shook her head. Despite the noble attitude he could take sometimes, the prince really was just another boy her age. It made her feel an odd mixture of confused and giddy whenever she was reminded of that.

"I'm sorry for teasing you." His quiet voice roused her from her thoughts. He was looking away now, back at the city again. The sad look was back.

She didn't know what to think of him. He was simultaneously regal and foolish, knowledgeable and naive, charming and depressing. In some ways, she reflected, maybe he was just as isolated as she was.

"Enrique…"

He turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" He asked.

"Can I tell you about my family?" Her voice was quiet as she asked the question.

His eyes widened. He hadn't pried on the matter since they first met, but she could tell he'd grown deeply curious about her history. "If you want to, I'm all ears." He replied.

She sighed. A small part of her still didn't want to dredge up old memories, but he'd shown her nothing but sympathy and trust thus far. Maybe it was time for her to return the favor. "As you know, I was born here sixteen years ago. We were lower city, but we weren't really in that bad of a spot."

He watched her expectantly. She took a deep breath and kept going. "My mom worked in the factories. My dad was a soldier. Between the two of them, we had enough money to be comfortable. Before I turned seven, I don't think I was ever actually hungry."

"It sounds like it was a good life." Enrique observed.

Belleza nodded. "It was." Her expression darkened, and she looked away as she continued. "Then the Valua-Nasr war started." Enrique didn't say anything, but she could imagine he was putting the pieces together in his head now.

"Both sides said the other started it. It didn't matter to the men who had to go out and fight. My father left the city to join the armada in battle." She explained. Her voice was flat as she went over the memories which she'd so carefully buried. "He survived longer than most infantry did. We actually started to believe he'd make it."

"And did he?" Enrique asked. By the tone of his voice, she could tell he already knew the answer.

Belleza shook her head. "He died a week before the ceasefire was called. The last battle of the war." She was surprised that she didn't feel like crying. The event seemed distant to her now. Dealing with the fallout had meant she'd had little time to focus on grieving. "Mom couldn't handle it. She stopped eating. She got sick, and died two months later."

"Belleza… I'm so sorry." The words were so quiet that they were hard to hear.

She ignored them. "I ended up on the streets, just seven years old. I didn't know what to do at first. I begged for change, then I started stealing. Once I got caught and beat for it, I started to take odd jobs. Sometimes I'm still not sure how I managed to survive until now." She explained. "That's my story. That's what life is like in lower city." Her voice was colder than even she expected.

Enrique was silent for a minute, then another. He didn't know what to say, she guessed. She didn't know what he should say, either. Part of her wished she'd never broached the topic to begin with.

"Belleza… I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you to go through that. I can't undo what happened to you, either." She watched him stare at his hands, and as she did, she saw him clench his fingers into a fist. "But I do know that I don't want to let that happen to anyone else ever again."

She stared at him, expressionless, for a long moment. "I'm not sure even an emperor can stop foolish men from going to war."

He glanced up at her. He looked determined, but underneath it she could see the scared child he still was. "I'll find a way."

A small part of her wanted to believe he would. "I certainly hope you will, Enrique." She said, smiling ever so slightly.

* * *

They kept meeting, and weeks turned into months. Enrique's schedule was erratic. Sometimes she wouldn't see him for weeks at a time, and others he would show up two days in a row. While he tried several times to clarify his routine and his life in the palace, Belleza could never quite grasp what it was like without once having seen it. A part of her wished she could be the one to visit him, for once.

Still, despite this disconnect, the two got along well, and as time passed, the both of them managed to open up to one another. They became friends, and eventually, as Enrique grew more comfortable and familiar with lower city, she began to suspect that he was really just visiting to see her now.

She couldn't complain. Despite their different upbringings, she and the young prince clicked in an oddly satisfying way. They were both intensely curious about things they didn't know; both keenly analytical (though his naivete from growing up in the palace sometimes hindered that); and the both of them, at times, seemed to want to be living the other's life.

It was just another evening in lower city Valua as Belleza and Enrique reclined against the back of the bar, a half-finished bottle of loqua between them. The area around the bar had become their de facto hangout in the past several months, and this was not the first bottle the two had shared since becoming friends.

"I turned fifteen a few days ago." Enrique announced after a moment of silence and another sip from the bottle.

Belleza grinned at him. "Congratulations. It's always an achievement to live another year." Her bright green eyes twinkled with amusement in the low light of a nearby streetlight as she continued. "I didn't get you anything."

That made him laugh. "I already got more than I should have. It's honestly kind of upsetting how much money was wasted on that party…" He shook his head, and though he was smiling, his eyes were a little sad.

She shrugged. "You can't help being the prince." She'd come to accept that fact over the months she'd known him. At first, maybe a month and a half into their relationship, she'd started getting it in her head that he was going to stick around one of these days. She wasn't sure what had brought about that delusion, but it had slowly been broken down as he'd continued to disappear back to the palace after their every meeting.

Enrique heaved a sigh and nodded. "I know, but… If nothing else, it did make me want to hurry and get back out here. Being stuck in the palace during the preparations was incredibly frustrating." He admitted, rubbing at his forehead with his palm as if to nurse a headache away at the thought of it all.

He always got that look when he talked about the palace. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I missed you while you were away." She offered, her smile turning sincere for a moment.

He returned her smile, and the frustration faded from his face as he looked at her. "I appreciate knowing that. I always feel better when I get the chance to come out here. It's kind of like a second home to me, now."

Belleza looked away from him as she took a sip from the bottle between them, setting it aside nearly empty. "That's good. Now that you know what it's like here, maybe things will change when you're in charge." The words felt a little odd on her tongue. She didn't like the idea of leaning on an authority figure for change, even if he was one of her closest friends at this point.

She shook off those thoughts as she turned to grin at him again. "So when is it my turn to visit _your_ place, hm?" She'd teased him about this from time to time, and it never failed to get a flustered reaction from him. She knew she'd never see the palace, and she didn't particularly want to - she just liked seeing this more human side of him.

To her surprise, though, his reaction this time was different. Instead of stammering and making excuses, this time he went quiet and looked away. "Belleza…"

The redhead frowned. There'd been an odd tension between them all night. She'd been ignoring it thus far, but the long silences and odd looks were starting to gnaw at her. Maybe it was time to tell him…

"Enrique, I have-"

"-Something to tell you." they both finished speaking at the same time, and for a moment they both stared at one another as they tried to process what had just happened. Eventually, they both looked away again, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Uhm… you go first." She prompted him.

She heard him take a deep breath, then let it out. Then, suddenly, his hand was on hers, warm and soft. She blinked in surprise as she turned to look at him. He stared her in the eyes for a long moment before speaking. "Belleza, I… I love you." He admitted with only a little hesitation.

Her breath caught in her throat, and for a few seconds her cheeks felt like they were on fire. The things she'd been planning to say rushed away from her. Then, she forced herself to start breathing again, and her thoughts returned to her. Despite that, she couldn't help smiling as she spoke. "Enrique…"

He'd evidently caught some of the sadness in her voice and her expression, however. "Belleza, is something wrong?" His fingers tightened on her hand for a moment, urgent but not painful. "I've been meaning to say this for awhile now. You've asked me about visiting the palace many times… I can take you there. You could live there, if you wanted."

She laughed quietly to herself as she looked away. Leave lower city. Never be hungry again. Never be bullied again. She could do whatever she wanted. And, she admitted to herself as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, she could be close to who she wanted.

Now that it was out in the open, Enrique was frantic. "Seriously. Anything you want will be taken care of. You could even begin to change Valua for the better, from there. If you, you know, became empress someda-" His eyes widened and his words were cut off as she leaned close and kissed him.

It was a gentle, almost chaste gesture. Her fingers brushed his cheek for a moment before she pulled away, wearing that same wistful smile from before. "Belleza…" Enrique said quietly. She could tell how much he wanted this to work.

"Enrique… you have no idea how happy it would make me if I could accept that offer." She said as her smile slowly faded to a frown. "But I don't think I can accept it."

Enrique was despondent. "But why not…?" He asked miserably.

She hated seeing him like this. She almost wanted to accept his offer, and let go of her objections. But… "It'd change who I am. I'm not nobility. I grew up in lower city and I got to where I am by working all the time." She looked away from him as she continued. It would be difficult to keep this up if she had to keep looking in his eyes. "If I end up somewhere like that, I need to know it's because I earned it."

"And being the girl I love isn't earning it?" His voice was quiet and sad now. Maybe, deep down, he'd expected this.

Her heart fluttered for a moment as he spoke, and she forced herself to keep avoiding his face. "As happy as it makes me to hear you say you love me… no, it's not."

"I… don't know what to do, then." Enrique admitted. "I hate only being able to see you every once in awhile, and like this…"

She didn't know what to do about that, either. She took a breath to steel herself before speaking again. "I still have something to tell you, Enrique."

"What is it?" His voice was lacking most of its usual enthusiasm. It stung her to hear it.

"I'm planning to join the military." She said.

"What? Why?" Now his tone was a little snappy. Even he hadn't anticipated that.

She looked at him to see a rare glimpse of anger on his features. Was this the first time he'd been upset with her? She couldn't remember the last time. "I'm never going to get anywhere staying in lower city. If I enlist, though… maybe I can achieve something." She smiled sadly at him. "You know I'm good enough in a fight, after all."

He frowned. They'd scrapped on occasion, and she'd won more often than not. She hadn't thought much of it until recently. Now she realized she had an opportunity to choose her own path, for once. "You could achieve something with me, though." He protested.

"They'd be your achievements. Not mine." She said with finality.

She watched as Enrique slowly schooled the anger off of his face. She'd seen his little ritual of self-control countless times at this point. She wondered to herself now if this would be the last time she'd see it. "If this is what you really want, Belleza, I won't stop you."

She stared at the floor for a long moment before replying. "It is."

"I probably won't be able to see you again once you're a part of the armada. Barracks aren't as open as city streets." His words held a note of warning.

She'd considered that. She couldn't think of a way around it. "I know." She'd just have to accept it.

There was silence between them for a little over a minute before he spoke again. "Well… since this is probably the last time we'll meet like this, maybe I should get us another bottle of loqua." He said as he hefted the bottle between them and drained the last of the liquid inside.

Even in this, he was taking the high road, she reflected. "I'd like that." She said agreeably, giving him a small smile.

"I'll be right back, then." He said, rising to his feet and walking around the corner towards the front of the bar.

The next hour and a half flew by as they finished off the next bottle. They talked, and teased, and questioned each other like they always had. And then, it grew late, and they parted for the last time.

* * *

Belleza enlisted on the day of her seventeenth birthday, just a few days after her last meeting with Enrique. She had few people to say goodbye to, and even fewer she thought would actually care.

The recruiting station by the docks was as dilapidated as the rest of the city, but she could tell it was at least patched up from time to time. The armada couldn't afford to lose their largest source of new blood.

The recruiter looked half-asleep when she entered the main room, but he jolted to attention when the door slammed shut. He was a rough-looking middle-aged man with one eye covered by an eyepatch, and a five-o'-clock shadow covering the lower half of his face. "Aren't you a pretty one?" He said as he looked her over.

She ignored his comment as she stepped up to the desk where he sat and set a hand on it, glaring down at him. "I'm here to enlist."

His eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face. "Takes all kinds to make an armada, I suppose." He pushed a clipboard across the desk towards her, along with a pencil. "Sign your name."

The page was full of the names of other hopefuls who could only be looking for a way out of lower city. And there, at the bottom of the sheet, and empty space awaited her signature. This was it. This was where she would decide her fate. Her thoughts briefly flashed to her mother, her father, and finally, to Enrique. What she wouldn't give if she could have all of them.

Then she signed her name in the blank spot and passed the clipboard back to the recruiter. His grin persisted as he looked her name over. "Welcome to the Valuan armada."

Training passed by quickly. She discovered she was a natural at both hand-to-hand combat and basic tactics. Years of surviving unscathed as a relatively pretty woman in lower city had helped that. When at last it was time for her and the rest of the successful recruits to ship out to the grand fortress, she could tell that the eyes on her were examining more than just her looks.

She'd never ridden one of Valua's rail-cars before. They were a fairly recent invention, and thus far they were mostly used to transport goods to the Grand Fortress and the palace. In this case, she supposed, she and her fellow recruits could be considered "goods". She and about a dozen others boarded a relatively empty car through a set of open double doors, prompted by the recruiter she'd met when they first got there.

"All aboard, then." He said in his usual gruff voice as the last man boarded, and he rolled the doors shut as the train's engine began to hum from further down the tracks. The space she and the others found themselves in was empty save for a couple of handholds to avoid the lot of them falling down in transit. A few windows lined the walls, and a single light illuminated the room from above.

Several men wobbled and grabbed the handholds as the floor shifted beneath them and the train set off in the direction of the Grand Fortress. Belleza had been anticipating it, and she held on tight as they accelerated down the tracks.

"This is my first time riding one of these." One of the men observed once they'd all stopped struggling with their balance. The others echoed his thoughts as they began to chatter about their plans and their goals.

Belleza ignored them, instead opting to stare out the windows at the passing stone cliffs and the machinery scattered around the rails. This was it. No more lower city. The place where her parents had lived, where she'd grown up, where she'd met Enrique. But also the place where she'd nearly starved so many times. Where she'd had to fight just to stay alive.

She'd miss a few things about it. But upon reflection, she realized she'd needed more than anything to get away from it. The hopelessness, the darkness, and the violence of that place were a poison to anyone with dreams. She couldn't let it crush her.

After a few minutes, a massive structure came into view. It was composed of tightly-packed bricks and steel, and was built directly into the face of the cliffs that surrounded Valua, facing the palace.

"The Grand Fortress…" One of the other men said as he apparently caught sight of it too. It was the pride of Valua's military; a massive gate, lined with cannons, behind which sat the bulk of the empire's soldiers and ships. It had taken decades to be completed, and now it stood as an impenetrable door to the empire from mid ocean.

The fortress drew closer and closer, until the view was swallowed up by darkness as the train went into a tunnel in the side of the structure. Eventually, light returned as they pulled into a station located just inside. The train gradually pulled to a stop, and the doors rolled open once more to reveal an older-looking woman in uniform.

"Everyone out! You're helping us haul our supplies in, and then you're all getting briefed." She said snappily. Belleza followed the others in hurrying out of the car and beginning to collect the various supplies they'd be bringing with them into the fortress.

This would be her home from now on. She could only hope she'd grow to like it.

* * *

Belleza integrated with surprising ease into the hierarchy of the armada. She ended up being placed into admiral Gregorio's defensive fleet, patrolling and maintaining the Grand Fortress. She was a natural at most of her assigned tasks - maintaining and operating the cannons, staying watchful during her guard shifts, and never faltering during the occasional training session.

Within a year, she found herself being considered for officer status. She wasn't sure she cared at this point; the pay was good and for better or for worse, the Grand Fortress was her home now. While she'd espoused to Enrique back then that she'd wanted to make her own future, when faced with the actual prospect of promotion, she wasn't all that enthused.

Still, she accepted the rise in rank when it eventually came, along with the training it necessitated. And so she began to organize those soldiers who had previously been her peers, managing patrol shifts and maintenance schedules. She continued like that without much of a care, until the day she met admiral Galcian.

It was the first time since her arrival at the Grand Fortress that she'd encountered one of the admirals. They'd visited before, but always stayed cloistered in their personal sections of the fortress, away from the common guards.

Galcian was not like that. He'd chosen to personally inspect much of the fortress this week, and so it was that she encountered him while checking up on the crew maintaining one of the many cannons that lined the fortress one day.

"Vander. You're off for today. Get out of here." She said curtly to the young man leaning on the cannon controls with a bored look. He jolted to his feet as he realized she was there, straightening his back and saluting smartly.

"Yes, Lieutenant Belleza, ma'am." He said, quickly marching past her and out the door. Before it could close behind him, however, it opened again to admit her senior officer, the older woman who'd greeted her when she first got off the train.

"This, my lord, is our second largest cannon. We maintain a staff of three here at all times to ensure optimal functionality." She explained as her guest followed her in.

He was a tall man, imposingly so, and the way he stood made one feel like he owned everyone in the room. His hair was silvery-gray and short, slicked back out of his eyes. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed, encircling his lips and running up his jawline to meet his hair. And his silver eyes were cold and calculating as they roved over the room.

He regarded the soldiers in the room from within an encompassing black cloak around his shoulders that made it impossible to truly guess his proportions. As he eyed them, the soldiers - who often were lazy and uncoordinated - snapped to attention, saluting and practically quaking in their boots as they stood up to face him.

For once, Belleza was the one who was slow to attention, and Galcian's eyes fell upon her for several seconds before she thought to salute as well. "Who is this?" He said as he eyed her. His voice was low and surprisingly smooth, with almost no gravel to it. He sounded more like a scholar than a warrior.

"That's Lieutenant Belleza. Our most recent promotion to officer." Her senior officer noted drily as she raised an eyebrow at the redheaded soldier.

"Funny. I thought I was familiar with every notable soldier in the Grand Fortress." He said, ignoring the older woman as he approached Belleza. "How long have you been here?" He asked.

For her part, Belleza wasn't sure what to make of Galcian. He was incredibly imposing, but at the same time… commanding. She could see how he'd become commander of the forward fleet. She felt incredibly small as he scrutinized her. "I've been here about a year, sir." She said quietly.

A smirk curled up one side of his lips. "That's quite a rapid rise through the ranks." He observed, slowly turning away from her. "Perhaps I shall have to keep an eye on you, Lieutenant." He said as he paced back over to the senior officer. "Let us carry on, then. We have much of the fortress left to tour."

And like that, he was gone. Almost at once, the other soldiers went to gossiping. "That was lord Galcian! The most storied commander in the armada!"

"We wouldn't have ended the war without him pushing the Nasreans back right at the end…"

"What is he doing just walking around the fortress?!"

"Quiet down, all of you. Get back to work." Belleza said sharply, and slowly the chatter died down. She stayed where she was, watching the door Galcian had departed through.

Imposing. Commanding. The man who had ended a war through superior strength and tactics. And he had taken an interest in her.

Perhaps she would have to take an interest in him, too.

* * *

Another year passed. Galcian visited the fortress once more, but this time she didn't see him, despite searching for him. She wasn't entirely sure why she wanted to see him again, but she was undeniably disappointed to learn of his departure once more. She tackled her duties with new enthusiasm. Her desire to rise through the ranks and make something of herself had returned.

She achieved the rank of captain within that year, but a greater surprise awaited her a month later, when her superior (now by only a few ranks) called her into her office.

"Ma'am?" Belleza inquired as politely as she could as she stepped into the older woman's office.

"Let's get right to the point, Captain." The older woman said, tossing an envelope onto the desk in front of her. "You've been offered a unique opportunity." She said seriously.

Belleza took the envelope off the desk. It was marked with a violet seal. "What opportunity is that?" The younger woman asked.

"You've been invited to join the royal guard."

Belleza blinked for a moment before staring at the envelope again. "The _what_?" She said incredulously.

"You heard me." The officer said as she steepled her fingers over the desk. "Someone wants you guarding the royal palace."

"I… I'll have to think about it." The redhead replied. "Is there anything else?" She asked, still a little perplexed.

The older woman shook her head. "Nothing. Let me know what you end up deciding, so I can let the higher-ups know. You're dismissed." She said with a wave of her hand.

Belleza hurried back to her section of the barracks. What was this all about? This was not the promotion opportunity she'd expected. She quickly sat down on her bed when she reached the officer's barracks, and stared at the envelope once more before tearing off the seal and opening it. She slowly unfolded the paper and began to read.

" _Captain Belleza - I am writing to you at the behest of the royal family. Your accomplishments at the Grand Fortress have not gone unnoticed, and we would very much like to employ your skills in protecting the imperial family. Rest assured, royal guards receive some of the best accommodations and pay in the armada - you will lose nothing if you decide to accept this offer. Please give us your answer with all due haste."_

The letter was signed by a "Captain Alfonso". She hadn't heard of him before. Then again, she'd never particularly considered or investigated the royal guard before. It was an interesting proposal - certainly a step up in terms of station and quality of life.

Still, it was obvious that something was off about this, and she could easily guess what it was. She knew who'd requested her, even if he hadn't been named in the letter. Though she'd thought of him from time to time since coming to the fortress, she wasn't sure it was wise to accept this offer - not after the way they'd parted.

She reread the letter twice more as she mulled over her decision. The more she thought about it, however, the more the answer glared at her. She _could_ stay at the Grand Fortress and try to keep climbing the ranks - but it had been difficult enough to earn her current one, and she wasn't sure how much of a fight it would be to go further.

Beyond that, though, she wanted to see him again - even if it would carry its own set of problems. Even if it would probably end up hurting them both at some point. She folded up the letter and stood as she realized she'd already made her decision.

She hurried back to the superior's office and informed her of her choice. And like that, things changed again. Within the week, she was boarding another rail-car with what little she owned, but this time it was different. This time the car was lavishly furnished, as if for guests from upper city. It was well-lit, clean, and had comfortable seats. And it was empty of passengers other than her.

She felt a little taken aback by the hospitality already. But she couldn't complain. She'd made her decision. She'd earned what she'd been offered. She would not let her doubts take that away from her.

The humming of the train's engine was her only companion as she watched the lights of upper city fly by. She'd never been so close to it before. She wondered if all the trains that came through here were this nice.

The glittering city below her was nothing compared to the spectacle of the royal palace, however. It towered over both upper and lower city from the center of the cliffside, covered with lights of dozens of colors and painted in various shades of purple, gold and white. The train pulled to a stop at an isolated station a short ways from the palace, and she disembarked to find a man waiting there for her.

He was short for a man, about her height. He had golden blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Enrique. But he was not Enrique. His features were more masculine, and distinctly hawkish. He looked more like a noble than a royal. His violet armor distinguished him as a member of the royal guard. "Welcome, captain Belleza. I am Alfonso, captain of the royal guard." He said, bowing his head for a moment.

She eyed him for a long moment as he introduced himself. He held himself like a noble, but there was something that bothered her about him. His posture was all wrong for a fighter. He stood like someone attending a party, not someone wearing a full suit of armor. "It's nice to meet you, captain Alfonso." She replied, keeping her observations to herself, for now.

He took her hand in a flash, and like that, he began guiding her down a set of lighted walkways towards the palace. "Come! We have much to cover before you can be fully initiated into the guard."

His pace was quick, but it didn't take her long to adjust. She wanted to pull her hand away - she barely knew him, after all. But he was to be her superior here. She couldn't risk offending him just yet. "Are we heading to the barracks? Training?" She asked, hoping to dispel some of her discomfort.

"First, I think, we're going to be heading to my chambers. I need to assess you personally, as captain of the guard." He said, and there was a note of self-satisfaction in his voice as he spoke. It made her stomach twist uncomfortably as she wondered just what his "assessment" would entail. She was just considering tugging her hand away and demanding answers when someone's voice halted them.

"I think you can skip the 'assessment' this time, _Alfonso_." The last word dripped with venom, and Alfonso froze in place as he heard it, letting go of Belleza's hand at once.

"Of course, my lord. My apologies." He said, just barely avoiding stammering.

"You can go back inside. I'll show her the ropes and get her started." A young man said as he approached. Alfonso gave the redheaded girl a last look before nodding and pacing towards the palace, leaving the two of them behind.

He was a little taller than she remembered him. His voice was a bit deeper, and he was wearing clothes he'd never have worn back in lower city. But it was definitely him. "Enrique." She greeted him, eyes wide.

"It's nice to see you again, Belleza." He said with a smile as he closed the distance to her, standing a few inches away. "I'm glad you accepted my offer."

She felt a small smile of her own forming on her lips. "So it _was_ you who arranged this. I figured."

His smile didn't falter. "I knew you would. That's why I framed it as the choice it was. I wanted you to decide whether you'd earned this or not."

She'd missed him more than she realized - but she looked away she replied. "Keep in mind - I'm still not your empress."

He was briefly silent at that, before speaking again a moment later. "Of course not. You're a royal guard, and an exemplary soldier, just like you wanted to be. I won't ask you to be anything else." When she looked back at him, he was shuffling uncomfortably, and for a moment, she could see the awkward teenage boy she'd met in lower city three years ago. "But, it's worth mentioning that the offer I made back then will always be open…"

Belleza looked around for a moment. They were alone - Alfonso really had retreated as he'd been ordered to. She leaned closer to Enrique and brushed her fingers against his cheek. "I'll keep it in mind, Enrique. I really did miss you. I just… need to figure some things out, still. It's been a long time, after all."

He sighed softly, briefly placing his hand over hers before letting it go. "That's all I ask, really. I wasn't kidding about you being an excellent soldier. The royal guard is a perfect place for you."

She felt her smile returning. "I appreciate your help with this. I'll make the most of the opportunity."

At that, his smile came back too. "Excellent. Then let me show you around the grounds."

She didn't object when he took her hand, and they walked side by side as he led her to the palace to begin the process of acclimating her to her new position. When at last the tour ended and he excused himself, leaving her in the guards' barracks, she was certain that Enrique was still the same person she'd known back in lower city.

As she sat down on her bed, she reflected that she was grateful for that. It would be good to have him back. A part of her still had the same feelings for him now that she'd had back then, and she knew she'd have to contemplate his offer more seriously this time.

But another part of her had changed since her time in the Grand Fortress. That part of her had different plans. And in a distant part of her mind, she wondered when she would see lord Galcian again.


	2. Falling Star

Rami squinted as he held the mast between two fingers, poised just above a small slot in the deck of a model ship. With careful precision, he inserted it until it could stand on its own, before pulling back with a sigh. Another one complete at last.

He leaned back into the comfort of his chair as he surveyed his work. It was the third model airship he'd constructed this year, this time a pirate ship. He'd long been fascinated with the world of Arcadia, and this was just one of many ways he indulged his curiosity. He rolled his shoulders to get some of the tension out as he looked around his room.

Like every other domicile in the Great Silver Shrine, it was largely stark white, with alcoves cut into the walls that could be exposed or hidden at will. In one corner was the desk he currently sat at; In another, a thin screen suspended from the wall currently displayed a live image of Arcadia taken from somewhere on the Shrine.

He rose from his seat with a sigh, approaching one of the walls and pressing his hand against a small indentation there. It glowed with a soft blue light as it recognized his touch, and a portion of the wall slide away to reveal a small compartment lined with well-preserved books. He looked over their spines for a moment before selecting the one he was looking for.

He flipped through it until he got to the pages that included pictures of old ships, and eventually reached the one he'd modeled. "Ship - Pirates - Blue Rogue." He read aloud as he looked back and forth between the page and his creation until he was certain it was perfect. Then he closed the book and set it on the desk before sitting down again with a grin.

"I wonder what it's like to sail the world in one of these?" He said to no one in particular. As always, he was alone in his room. He'd spent just about all seventeen years of his life here on the Great Silver Shrine, and in all that time he'd only ever known one other person outside the elders, who he rarely spoke to.

And while that one person had brought him endless joy since she'd come into his life ten years ago, he still could not escape the occasional bout of boredom. He'd long since discovered that his favorite way to combat that ennui was to learn about the world below.

To him, the floating world of Arcadia was a mystery waiting to be uncovered. He'd read about each of the lands blessed by a different moon, about the people who inhabited them, and about the things they did with one another. The elders always insisted they were not to be trusted - but he couldn't help being intensely curious about them.

He was just in the middle of reading a passage about how the modern Valuans had begun to harness moon-stone energy to create electricity when a loud beeping sound caught his attention, drawing his eyes to the screen that normally showed him the world he was so infatuated with. He quickly rose to his feet and stood in front of it, just as the image changed.

In its place was the face of an old man with long silver beard. His eyes glowed silver-blue, and they pierced Rami to his very soul as they looked at him. "Rami. I believe it is time." The old man said.

Rami felt some of the blood drain from his face. He froze for a long moment before replying. "Are you certain, Elder Prime?" He asked quietly.

"I am always certain. The danger we face now is too great." Rami knew what was coming, but still, he distantly hoped the elder would never finish his thought. "It is time for you to descend to Arcadia and retrieve the moon crystals. We cannot allow the young to harness the power of the Gigas."

They'd told him this day would come, but a part of him had never quite believed it would. Rami nodded slowly as he processed what all this would entail. "Yes, Elder. I'll do as you say."

The Elder's expression didn't change - they never did, frozen as they were in the crystal prisons that kept them alive - but he could sense a hint of satisfaction from the old man anyways as his voice reached the younger man again. "Good. A ship is waiting for you at dock C. Do not fail us." With that, the image disappeared, and the view of Arcadia returned.

Rami stared at it for a long time. He'd always been curious about that world, but now that it was finally time for him to go there, he was frozen with doubt. He'd spent all his life on the shrine. Was he really ready to leave behind the only life he'd ever known?

The worried expression slowly faded from his face, to be replaced with something cold and distant. He straightened up and turned around. Of course he was ready. He had been ready the moment the Elder gave him his orders. He would do whatever was asked of him. He briefly glanced at the silver bracelet around his wrist as it sent a tingle through his arm.

Then he stepped out of his room through the only door. His perception of space briefly blurred as he was transported away from his room inside the shrine to the docking bay, on the underside of the structure facing the planet. As he glanced up, he thought for a moment that he could finally appreciate just how massive Arcadia really was.

He'd dispelled his doubts - but there was still something he had left to do before he could leave. He paced to the center of the ring from which the rest of the docks extended and circled it until he reached the corridor he was looking for, then tracked down the only active door. He'd been through it dozens of times since it became the home of the station's only other occupant besides the Elders.

The world blurred again as he stepped through it, to find himself in another stark-white room just like his. Unlike his, however, this one was not completely silent. A gentle, music-box-like melody drifted from the screen in the corner, and in the middle of the room a young girl with platinum-blonde hair played with a curiously-shaped doll while she swayed slowly to the rhythm of the song.

She didn't notice him at first. "Fina…" Rami said softly as he took a few steps forward and knelt beside her. She gasped and turned around to face him, before a bright smile turned up her lips.

"Rami!" She said delightedly as she immediately hugged him, her doll briefly slapping his back as it came to rest there. "Welcome back!" She said as she nuzzled into him.

He returned her hug, staying that way for a long moment before pulling away. "Thank you, Fina. It seems like you're still having a great time with that doll Elder Prime had made for you." He observed with another grin.

Fina's smile widened as she held up the doll proudly, as if to present it to the silver-haired young man before her. "It's the best! She's like a whole new friend!" The young girl declared.

Rami reached out and gently ruffled the girl's hair. "I'm glad she makes you happy. I know you were getting a bit lonely between my visits." He said.

The girl's smile fell just a little as she nodded. "Yeah… but I understand that you need to train. What the Elders say, goes, right?" She said with a solemn tone that didn't fit her youthful face at all.

The young man heaved a sigh as he nodded, too. "It's the truth. But… on that note, I might be gone a little longer than usual this time."

Fina's smile finally faded completely as she stared at him. "Are you going somewhere?" She asked.

"I'm going to Arcadia." He explained.

"A...Arcadia?" She echoed him, clearly baffled. "Why would you ever go there? The Elders told me it's full of monsters and bad people…" Her eyes started to look a little wet. "What if they hurt you, Rami?"

"Fina… Don't cry." He said seriously, forcing himself to smile. "Why do you think I spent so much time training? They won't be able to touch me." He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "I'll come back to you safe. I promise."

She stared at him for a long moment before closing her eyes. When she opened them again, the unfallen tears that had been there before were gone. Slowly, she made herself smile again. "Okay, Rami. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

"That'll be enough to keep me going." He said with surety before reluctantly pulling back and rising to his feet again. He glanced briefly around her room once more - just like his, but so much more welcoming than his own, somehow - before turning towards the door. "Goodbye, Fina. I'll see you again soon."

"Goodbye, Rami!" Her voice followed him out the door, only cut off when he appeared back on the docks. He took a deep breath as he turned towards dock C and began making his way there.

Now that he'd gotten his goodbyes out of the way, all that was left to think about was the journey ahead. Slowly, excitement began to well up within him. What was he afraid of? He was finally going to see the Arcadia he'd long wondered about. Sure, the people were supposedly wicked and cruel - but they wouldn't stop him. This would be an adventure, for sure.

* * *

Rami's ship was small, but fast. He wondered how long the Elders' androids had taken to build it. A translucent hemisphere flickered into view around the largely open cabin as the little ship flew out of the shrine's airspace. Or perhaps it wasn't quite airspace, yet. Better, he thought, to just call it "space".

Ordinary airships couldn't fly this high. They needed an atmosphere to stay airborne. The silver civilization had long ago discovered how to create machines that could operate in the void of space; the Great Silver Shrine was their greatest testament to this achievement. As far as he knew, the silver civilization was the only one to remain after the rains of destruction annihilated the old world.

He went over what he knew in his head as his ship descended towards the world below. He needed to reclaim the five moon crystals - one for each of Arcadia's moons besides the silver, which the silvites already presided over. These ancient tools had been created by the people of the old world to control the Gigas.

And the Gigas - he'd never seen any of them before, but they featured prominently in his history books. Weapons of mass destruction, modeled after living things. They were the ultimate expression of the warlike tendencies of the old world, and they'd very nearly destroyed civilization on their own by the time the rains of destruction came.

The rains of destruction, however, he knew little about. They came one day out of nowhere - showers of thousands of moon stones from every one of Arcadia's moons. They pulverized the cities and warships of the old world, eradicating their mighty civilizations over the course of just a few weeks.

The silvites had only survived thanks to the Great Silver Shrine. Once it had left Arcadia, it was safe from the rains. And so the Elders - who, as far as he knew, had been alive since the old world - watched over the people of the world, and did their best to keep anything like the Gigas from causing havoc again.

Rami could feel the wind beginning to stir his hair as the ship broke into the atmosphere. The translucent shield that had protected his air supply gradually began to fade as he descended further through the sky. Gradually, he caught sight of land, and clouds, and a few of the pernicious sky rifts that wreathed the world of Arcadia.

He pressed a button on the console before him, and a map of the world flickered to life in the space before him. This was mid ocean - the land of the silver moon. As far as he knew, there were no major continents here, only scattered islands. And there was certainly no silver crystal here.

It looked like the closest place he could begin searching would be the desert kingdom of Nasr, to the east. He slowly turned his ship in that direction and stopped descending. He would stay in the upper portion of the sky, where monsters were fewer, for now. It also helped that most of the native Arcadians' ships could not fly this high. It would give him a degree of stealth.

Now that he was finally on his mission, his training was really beginning to kick in. He knew just how to operate his ship. He knew how to navigate the world, and how to stay out of sight. The last of his fear melted away. He was ready. All that would stand before him was the size of the world - The crystals were well-hidden, and it might take him a long time indeed to track them down.

The wind blowing in his hair grew warmer as he flew into the lands of the red moon - the kingdom of Nasr, full of deserts, and trade towns built on oases. As he began to fly over the desert proper, he scoured the area below him for ships or landmarks. He could see neither of those things, and so he began to descend.

He began to appreciate just how vast the desert was as he drew nearer to it. It seemed to stretch on forever. All the measurements his books had given him seemed useless as he squinted at the horizon and failed to see an end to the dunes.

He scoured the desert for three days straight. During that time, he narrowly avoided contact with a dozen trade ships, and passed over two separate towns that practically blended into the hot sands below. He was beginning to feel frustrated.

"The temple of Pyryrnn should be around here somewhere…" He grumbled to himself as he began his fourth day of searching. It seemed like he'd been at it forever, but according to his map, he'd only scoured a quarter of the desert. At this point, he was beginning to worry he'd run out of rations before he found all the moon crystals.

"Maybe it's time to search for one of the crystals that _hasn't_ been lost for generations…" He reflected darkly as he pulled his ship back upwards towards upper sky. He was tired of Nasr. The dome shield didn't protect him against the heat, and he was sick of sweating through his clothes.

Valua, to the north, was a more certain target. He knew that the yellow moon crystal lay sealed beneath the maw of Tartas, in the easternmost portion of the continent. Even if it was stormy and dark there due to the tumultuous power of the yellow moon, his ship's guidance systems could at least take him to the known location of the seal.

He punched in the destination and leaned against the side of the ship with a sigh as it began to steer itself towards its new goal. He hadn't anticipated this would be so exhausting. The elders really had not given him enough supplies or direction to complete this monumental task all on his own. Not that he could bring them to task for it. Their word was law, after all.

Still, if he was going to come out of this unscathed, he reflected, he'd probably need to start cooperating with the locals. The Elders had stressed time and time again that the people of Arcadia were dangerous barbarians - but he just couldn't quite accept that. If things didn't pan out soon, he'd be willing to take his chances.

The dark and gloomy skies of Valua quickly came into view ahead of him, and he was grateful for Nasr's proximity to the stormy continent that served as his new destination. He briefly worried about the lightning storms interfering with his ship, but those worries faded as the comforting glow of his dome shield flickered into view as the ship descended through the clouds.

It didn't take long for him to reach the seal. It stood out like a sore thumb against the mostly black and barren soil of Valua. He briefly wondered how anyone survived out here as the ship descended until it touched down next to the seal. With only a little trepidation, he hopped out and landed on the ground for the first time.

"So this is what it feels like to have earth beneath your feet…" He mused as he paced forward to begin treading on the ancient metal of the seal. It was carved full of runes and pictograms, mostly in black, silver and yellow. From what he'd learned in his studies, the silvites had created it to trap the yellow Gigas after the rains had stopped.

He could see scars and dents here and there. Evidently, the Valuans had tried to break through it at least once. But they'd failed, if the intact state of the seal was anything to go by. He smiled at that. The silvites truly were the most advanced civilization in the world.

As he reached the center of the seal, he noted a small indentation precisely in the middle. "Aha…" A way to open it? Quite likely. It seemed like a dormant form of the information technology that allowed him to communicate with the elders back on the station, and which he'd used to display his map. Perhaps if he could reactivate it, he could open the seal.

Just as he had resolved to return to his ship to gather some supplies to test his theory, a sharp voice caught his attention. "Halt, trespasser!" It shouted.

Rami froze, then slowly turned around to face the source of the voice. Before him stood a trio of men in full, dark blue armor, with red stripes decorating the arms. Each of them held a longsword, which they pointed at him. "Trespassing on the maw of Tartas is a crime punishable by death!" The man in the center declared.

Rami frowned at them. "You should leave me alone. It'll work out better for you all." He warned.

"You're awfully confident for a dead man." The lead soldier shot back. He waved a hand at his compatriots. "Kill him." And like that, they were charging at him.

Rami closed his eyes and extended his right arm. The bracelet around his wrist expanded, floating in midair before breaking apart into a thousand silver droplets. Gradually, they flew to his hand and began to reform into a long, slender blade. The young man's fingers closed around the hilt as it solidified in his palm.

He opened his eyes. Everything had lost its color to him. The men charging at him were like a dark blur, slowly approaching. They were so sluggish, he thought to himself as he sidestepped the lead man's strike, aimed for Rami's chest.

The young man flicked his arm out at the soldier on the left. His blade cleanly sliced through the armor on the other man's shoulder, leaving it bare as the plating clattered to the ground. "Damnit!" The man snarled as he turned and swung his sword at Rami.

Still too slow. The silver-haired youth caught the blade of the longsword on his own, and with a flick of his wrist, sent it flying from its wielder's hand. A split second later, he rushed forward and tackled the man into the next of his fellows, sending them both off balance. The middle soldier dropped his own weapon as he fell, and Rami kicked it away without a second thought.

The last man hesitated for a moment as he watched his friends collapse. That was all the opening Rami needed as he closed the distance to him and swung his sword straight at him. The soldier raised his own blade to block it.

It shattered in two as Rami's silver sword clashed with it. It descended toward the man's neck - an obvious space between his helmet and his torso armor would easily expose him to decapitation.

The lethal silver blade stopped an inch from the unlucky soldier's neck, and he froze in place as he stared out at his opponent through his visor. "If I wanted to kill you all, I could." Rami hissed as he glared at the cowering Valuan.

"R-right…" The man stammered, his voice muffled slightly by his helmet but still undeniably terrified.

"You'll leave this place and forget you saw me. Understand?" Rami said. The cold steel in his silver eyes told the soldier everything he needed to know about what would happen if he refused.

"Y-yeah! We d-didn't see anyone at the seal today!" The soldier agreed, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief as the blade menacing his throat pulled away.

"Get out of my sight." Rami said, looking back at the soldier's fallen fellows, who were just now beginning to pick themselves up off the ground. The man he'd been threatening bolted, and his friends followed him as quick as they could once they were back on their feet. He watched them go until they were out of sight over the hill.

"The Elders were right… these people really are pathetic." Rami mused as his sword broke apart into droplets again, quickly reforming back into the bracelet around his wrist. "And those are supposed to be soldiers." He said with disappointment in his tone as he made his way back to the ship.

He spent the next hour and a half trying to reactivate the device at the center of the seal. He was just beginning to make progress in realigning the circuits when he realized his vision was getting worse. As he stood up and stretched, he began to understand that it was coming from a heavy fog that had descended over the area.

"I can't see ten feet ahead of me…" He grumbled as he stepped away from the device. "I'm not going to be able to work under these conditions." He said reluctantly, and returned to the device to retrieve his things. "I guess I'll just have to finish up tomorrow."

He returned to the ship, and lifted off until he was far enough above the ground that the average patrol wouldn't glimpse him. In this fog, he didn't need to worry too much about being spotted. He laid down in the cockpit and stared up at the cloudy sky, shrouded by white mist. It was as good a backdrop as any to fall asleep to, and he closed his eyes.

He was roused from his slumber by a noise. An incredibly loud noise. It rang in his ears like nothing else, and he winced as he got to his feet and looked around.

The fog seemed to be even thicker than before, if that was at all possible. And the noise… it was like an animal screaming. It was too close for comfort. He went to the controls and turned them on, setting out into the fog at a sedate pace in search of the source.

At first he considered following the noise, but then decided against it. Anything that loud would probably be trouble. As he began trying to steer away from it, however, he realized he couldn't. It was moving towards him, getting steadily louder. Just as he was about to cover his ears, he saw something in the fog.

It was massive and mostly cylindrical, but clearly some sort of animal. As it came closer, he realized it had fins, and eyes, and a gaping mouth. "An arcwhale?" He said in disbelief, unable to hear his own voice over its cries. "It's enormous!" And it was chasing him. He pushed the ship to its highest speed, but it was still catching up to him.

Was it going to eat him? Why was it so interested in him? Surely he could go after the Valuan encampments spread out over the terrain.

He didn't get an answer as it opened its mouth and breathed out a massive wave of icy mist. It caught up to his ship in no time and enshrouded it in steadily-growing crystals of ice. The controls began to lock up as the dome shield flashed opaque. "No, no… Don't fail on me." He said as panic began to set in. His fingers were starting to shake in the cold.

Something smacked into the side of the ship and sent it tumbling away. He stumbled and caught hold of the console as hard as he could to keep himself from falling over. The dome shield was still completely opaque; he couldn't see anything as the ship flew somewhere out of his control.

As his stomach threatened to turn upside down, he closed his eyes and did his best to maintain his composure. Surely the controls would come back online. Surely he would be able to steer again shortly. He reached out and found the console still unresponsive.

The arcwhale's cries were growing distant, he realized. A minute later and they were gone. How fast must he be going? Where was he going? The ship was still freezing, but the dome shield was slowly, slowly beginning to fade back into the background.

As it did, he caught sight of something black and stormy. Valua? No, the only part of Valua that was black and stormy was the cloud ceiling. Whatever this was, it stretched from the cloud ceiling down into the abyss below the lower cloud layer.

As the shield faded back into true translucence, he realized what it was. "The Dark Rift…" He breathed the words as his panic began to overtake him again. His fingers hammered at the controls as he tried to steer away, but they wouldn't budge. Something in the ship's electronics must've been fried. The swirling, black clouds of the Dark Rift drew ever closer.

"No, no, no, no…" Rami repeated over and over as he struggled to right the ship, to steer away. He could guess that by this point it probably would've been pointless anyways. He could feel the ship lurching in the fierce currents that surrounded the rift. Even if he had control, it would likely be too late to pull away by now.

The shield flashed opaque again as the ship hit the rift. The ship shook violently beneath him and he was forced to cling to it again to avoid collapsing or hitting his head. He could feel it descending. He was going downwards, towards the bottom of the rift.

As the hopelessness of the situation dawned on him, he found himself growing distant from his worries. What was the dark rift like? He'd studied it many times before. Perhaps in the few moments before he died, he'd at least get a glimpse of the interior.

For a moment, the dome shield faded as he broke into what seemed like some sort of calm spot in the center of the rift. Dozens of floating stones glowed with eerie blue and green light as they drifted in the empty space between walls of dark, violent winds. Below him stretched a blue-black maelstrom, whose whipping winds were drawing his ship steadily downwards.

He stared at the oddly-glowing stones as his ship fell. Then he hit the maelstrom, and the shield went opaque again. He felt himself plummeting, faster and faster, until all at once, everything stopped, a thunderous crash filled his ears, and his vision went black.

* * *

León had been working as a doctor on the Aquila for several years now, and by this point, just about everyone on the ship called him "Doc". It was an appellation he didn't particularly mind; He'd been a doctor for most of his life, so to him, being called "Doc" was as much an expression of his identity as his real name was.

His day to day life was fairly peaceful. The Aquila was the flagship of Admiral Mendosa, commander of Valua's expedition fleet, and as such it was rarely involved in actual combat. Thus, his regular patients numbered very few. He served as more of a health advisor than an actual surgeon or physician.

He couldn't complain, however. He'd worked hard to get to where he was, and he enjoyed living aboard the Aquila whenever Mendosa was out and about (which was often indeed, considering where they were). As he returned to his cabin, he peered out the window at their surroundings.

The Aquila was just now flying over the forests of Ixa'taka, near Horteka. The lands of the green moon were lush with plant and animal life, but the people there were perhaps the least advanced of the known civilizations of Arcadia. They still lived in huts and maintained a hunter-gatherer society. Moon stone technology was mostly unknown to them.

Which had made them a prime target for the Valuan expedition fleet. Ixa'taka was full of untapped sources of moon stones, and the Valuan mainland was running out. They needed more fuel, and this new land was a perfect source for it. The natives had been resistant at first, but there was little they could do to stop the superior firepower of the Valuan armada.

And so it was that the Ixa'takans silently tolerated their occupation by the Valuans. Doc wasn't personally very happy with the way they were treated, but there was virtually nothing he could do about it. This was the way Valua operated. He was just a ship's doctor. He would patch people up and keep them healthy, and that was the extent of his authority.

He enjoyed the view out the window for a long while before a knock on the door roused him from his thoughts. As he opened it, he was greeted by the sight of a young man in uniform. "Doc, we've got an odd situation developing on the foredeck. You might wanna come along." He reported quickly.

"Right." Doc replied as he grabbed his white coat and donned it before picking up his supply bag and hurrying off after the younger man.

They got to the foredeck in no time, and when they did, the doctor was greeted by a curious sight indeed. Two other soldiers were pulling in a very strange-looking ship with lengthy poles, until it bumped gently against the side of the Aquila's foredeck. "There's someone inside." The young man from before informed him.

"What in the six moons…?" Doc swore as he stepped forward to the railing to look into the cockpit of the odd-looking ship.

The ship itself was odd-enough - all polished silver metal with sleek curves and no welding marks. It extended downwards for quite a ways, like a long fin. He couldn't see any means of propulsion. Inside it, however, was another oddity.

The young man inside the ship looked unconscious. He was dressed all in white and gold, but it wasn't like the kinds of outfits Doc had seen during his trips to Nasr in the past. These clothes seemed molded to the man's body, like they'd been made perfectly for him. As he looked closer, he realized the materials, too, were something like he'd never seen before. Was that thread spun from moon stone?

The young man's silver hair was a mess, but his face was calm, eyes closed and breathing apparently steady. The rest of him was unremarkable - he looked like he was of average height, weight, musculature… everything. Like he'd been designed according to a human blueprint.

Doc shook those odd thoughts from his head as he glanced to the men who'd pulled the strange ship up alongside them. "One of you, get this man to the infirmary." He turned back to face the soldier who'd led him here. "You, get a team to help bring the ship aboard."

"Right." the second soldier responded, disappearing into the ship. Doc helped the first one haul the boy out, and together, they carried him to the infirmary.

Doc had a lot of questions he'd need to ask. He hoped he'd be able to sort them all out before the young man awoke.

* * *

Rami dreamed of darkness.

It swirled all around him, shaking him violently. Then it cleared, and he saw colored lights drifting in the void, far above him. Then a crash, and pain, and confusion.

And then things became strange.

He couldn't see at all. The darkness had consumed everything. But he could hear, snippets of voices far away.

"Silver…?"

"...Perfect…"

"...Away."

It was all too distant for him to make sense of it. The more he strained to listen, the harder it became to make out the words.

Then he woke up.

The darkness behind his eyelids was not nearly so oppressive as the darkness he dreamed of. It was comforting, and familiar, and real. He could still hear voices, however.

First, a man's. He might've been a little older than Rami. "...You can't be here. What if he's dangerous? You'll get hurt." The voice was chiding someone nearby.

Then… a little girl. Fina? It sounded like the right age, but… "Come onnn, Doc. I'm better with a knife than half the people on this ship. I can take care of myself!" He could hear a smile behind the tone of the girl's voice. "If he's a problem, I'll make him not a problem real fast."

Rami shivered. That wasn't Fina. Whoever this girl was, she was just another violent Arcadian. Evidently, however, the older man had caught the subtle movement of the silvite's body. "Hey… I think he's awake." Suddenly, a hand was jostling his shoulder, gently but insistently. "Stop faking, kid. I know what it looks like when someone's pretending to be asleep."

Rami groaned as he opened his eyes and turned his head. Beside him were two people - the man and the girl he'd heard. The man was dressed in a white coat with an elaborate blue uniform beneath it. His hair was shaved close to his head, and a curious dot had been inked onto the center of his forehead. He regarded Rami with a patient smile as he leaned over him.

The girl wore a frilly black dress, which looked custom-made. It covered her to just past her knees and shoulders. Her dark brown hair was tied back in two small pigtails near the back of her head. She wore an unmistakably mischievous smile as she watched him. What caught Rami's eye the most, however, was the belt around her waist, lined with small, delicate-looking knives.

"You got me." Rami admitted as he eyed the older man. "I'm awake." He didn't trust them for a moment, but at least as long as they weren't attacking him, he supposed he wouldn't have to kill them.

"Lovely!" The older man said with a satisfied tone to his voice. "I'm Doc. I work here on this airship as, well, a doctor. And you, my friend, were just rescued by us." "Doc" tilted his head to one side as he looked Rami over once before continuing. "Care to tell us your story? Those're some mighty strange clothes you've got, and the ship you arrived in is even weirder."

 _Lie._ Rami's instincts told him he'd only make things worse if he told them the truth about his origins. His mission was a secret. He'd keep it that way. "I'm a traveler. I got caught in a pretty bad storm, and thrown off-course." He put on the best smile he could muster. "Thanks for rescuing me, Doc."

Doc narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired man on the bed before him. "Uhhh-huh. Where are you from, exactly?" He said. It was clear that he hadn't convinced the older man exactly.

"And where can I get some clothes like those? They're so _pretty!_ " The young girl exclaimed.

Rami briefly eyed the girl in question, who was idly toying with the handle of one of her knives with two fingers, like it was an unconscious habit. Something told him he'd want to avoid getting on her bad side.

He turned his attention back to Doc. "I'm from a far away land. You probably wouldn't recognize the name."

Doc rolled his eyes. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?" He leaned in closer, staring Rami down. "Look, kid, I sympathize with you. You got hurt, and as a good samaritan, I want to help you. But this here's a military ship. If we can't determine you're not a threat, we're gonna have to toss you overboard."

"You can't toss him overboard until he answers my question!" The girl shouted indignantly.

Rami sighed and leaned his head back on the pillow. "I'm not a threat. I promise you that." He spread his arms and hands a little, showing how he held nothing and concealed nothing on his person. "I don't even have a weapon. How could I hurt you?"

Doc's stare intensified. That bluff had been a particularly good one, and even now he smelled something wrong. Just how sharp was this guy? After a moment, the older man leaned back in his chair. "You could still have access to magic."

Rami tilted his head in the direction of the girl, who was now bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet. "You'd both see me casting it. The girl would have a knife in my gut before I could sling a single fireball."

Doc sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine. You win. But I'm taking you before Admiral Mendosa. He'll have to decide whether we can take care of you or not. Your ship's not functional, and until it is you're pretty much stuck with us."

"Admiral, huh…?" That could only mean this was a Valuan vessel. Among the barbaric peoples of Arcadia, they were the worst, if the behavior of the men at the maw of Tartas had been any indication. Warlike, isolationist, and imperialistic. Rami had really landed in the worst spot possible.

"Can you stand, kid?" Doc's voice brought him out of his reverie, and he nodded before he even tried. He swung his legs out to one side before sitting up, rolling his shoulders for a moment before standing up.

Doc seemed a little guarded as he stood up, too. The young girl pouted as she suddenly became the shortest person in the room. Rami was a little surprised to see that Doc stood even taller than he did. He hadn't encountered much variation in height back on the shrine, where everything was built to specifications.

He still wondered just how he'd survived his crash in the Dark Rift - had he imagined it all? But he doubted Doc, or anyone on this ship, had the answers he sought. For now, he'd just attribute it to a miracle. "I'm ready to go." Rami said as he eyed the good doctor.

"One last thing before we do." Doc said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's your name?"

Valua. "Rami" would stand out. He'd need something more fitting, and in the moment he came up with only one answer. "My name is Ramirez." He lied, affecting an air of boredom.

Doc frowned for a moment, as if about to object. But instead, he simply stood aside and opened the door. "Nice to meet you, Ramirez."

"Oooh, that's a pretty name!" The girl perked up as Rami made his way to the door. "I'm Piastol, by the way!" She said as he moved to follow him.

Doc and Piastol. What a couple of oddballs, Rami reflected as he stepped out into the hall. As he did, he became aware that he'd been flanked on all sides by soldiers in black armor. Two each filed into position in front of and behind him, and Doc and Piastol soon took up the spots to either side of him.

"Let's go see the admiral, boys." Doc said casually to the men surrounding them. The duo in front of them began to march, and the three of them followed suit a moment later.

Admiral Mendosa looked to be in his late forties. His black hair was peppered with grey, and he was balding heavily, with most of what remained concentrated around the back and sides of his head. He had a neatly trimmed goatee that hung from his chin, and his clothing was as exquisite as what befitted an Admiral of the Valuan armada.

But what struck Rami most about him was the smile he wore as the two soldiers in front of him moved off to either side to present their guest to the Admiral. It was a bright smile, happy, and utterly without malice.

Doc took his place beside Rami and gently set a hand on his back, pushing him forward. "Admiral Mendosa, I present to you a young man named Ramirez. As you know, we discovered his ship drifting through eastern Ixa'taka this morning and took him aboard in a state of unconsciousness."

Mendosa spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. "Good to see you up and about, my boy! You look like you're in great condition for someone set adrift." He looked towards Doc for a moment as he continued. "I take it our good doctor is responsible for this?"

Doc smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There wasn't much I needed to do besides let him rest. The kid was in perfect condition when he got here."

The old Admiral looked aghast. "Tch! You must've been so disappointed. I know how bored you get on your off days." He teased, before turning his attention to the silver-haired young man before him. "Now, mister Ramirez. Can you tell me anything at all about what happened to you? Why were you drifting through Ixa'taka like that?" Suddenly, there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Were you attacked?"

Rami shook his head vigorously. "No, nothing like that. I was traveling in the area and got caught in a bad storm near south ocean. It rattled my ship, and I guess I got knocked out in the process. I'm very grateful to your men for rescuing me." He said, bowing his head slightly.

"Hmm, I see. It's a bit strange for an ordinary storm to do so much damage to your vessel but to leave the passenger intact, but as long as you are okay, then I am unconcerned." Mendosa said, waving his hand dismissively. "My real concern is if foul play is involved. Pirates have begun to worm their way into Ixa'taka. I must keep them out of our airspace."

"Sounds like a real problem, sir." Rami said. He wondered what the pirates were like.

Mendosa was looking him up and down with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Your ship is out of commission, boy. You'll be stuck with us for awhile."

The silver-haired young man frowned. "So I've heard, sir. I'd be grateful if you could give me lodgings until it's repaired."

Mendosa frowned right back at him. "Unfortunately, I've got some bad news for you. My mechanics don't have the foggiest clue how your ship works. It's really miraculous, you know. They're some of the best boys in the armada." The old admiral steepled his fingers on the desk as he leaned forward. "I don't think we'll be able to repair your ship ourselves, and we're a long way from anyone who could."

Rami winced. He'd been afraid of that. Silvite technology was hundreds of years ahead of the rest of Arcadia. They couldn't possibly know what to do with his ship. "I see… Well, if you could set me down with it somewhere, maybe I could fix it myself."

The admiral's frown intensified. "You seem awfully attached to it. As unique as it is, it seems a bit small for traveling any significant distance." Mendosa tapped his chin thoughtfully for several moments, eyeing Rami carefully. "Boy, I've got a proposal for you."

Rami blinked in surprise at the abrupt shift in topic. "A proposal?"

Mendosa nodded. "Are you in any hurry to get where you're going?"

Fina was waiting for him. Rami didn't want to keep her waiting, but… He'd already been here longer than he expected. He supposed the job could wait, at least a little longer. "I suppose not."

The older man seemed pleased. "I can tell by the way you hold yourself that you're a swordsman." His smile widened at the look of surprise that crossed Rami's face. "I've got a deal for you - you join my crew for the time being, and I'll let you have a go at fixing the ship in your off time. You won't be left helpless in the jungle, and I'll gain a competent new soldier."

Rami's jaw dropped. He hadn't been expecting _that_. Join the crew of a Valuan flagship? Sign on with a bunch of barbarians?

But… since arriving on this ship, the people hadn't really seemed all that barbaric. Mendosa was as polite as they came, and he had to admit he even liked Doc and Piastol a bit. Could it really be so bad to work with these people for awhile? He supposed it couldn't hurt. "Okay. I'll take that deal."

Mendosa seemed overjoyed. "Wonderful! Welcome aboard, son." He said with the same bright smile he'd worn when they'd first come into the room. He gestured to the soldiers flanking Rami, as well as to Doc. "Why don't you get him suited up and see how he handles a sword."

Ah. There was the barbarism. Rami quietly sighed as he was led out of the room and down several hallways to what looked like a training room. A young man in uniform was sitting on a bench nearby, and one of the armored soldiers, gestured to him as they stepped inside. "You! Grab a training sword for yourself and our guest."

The uniformed man nodded and hurried off into one of the side rooms. The soldier turned to Rami a moment later and said, "Those pretty clothes of yours won't handle combat well, will they?"

Rami glared at him and shook his head. "They'll be fine if I don't get hit."

The soldier laughed. "Confident. I like it. Let's see if you can back those words up."

The uniformed man returned a moment later with a pair of polished wooden swords, handing one to Rami before pacing back to the other side of the room, apparently getting ready. "You go to the other side. Let's see what you can do." The soldier said, gesturing to the side of the room opposite where the uniformed man had gone.

Rami nodded, testing the weight of his new weapon along the way. It was a little lighter than his silver sword, but not too much lighter. The reach was also worse, and it had a crossguard, which he found uncomfortable. Still, he knew he could handle it. He held it to one side as he took his position and stared down his would-be opponent.

The uniformed man was apparently ready to go as well, and he raised his sword in a two-handed grip that pointed the tip towards Rami. From near the center of the room, Doc, Piastol and the soldier watched. The soldier raised his hands. "Ready… fight!" He dropped his hands as he said the second word.

Rami's opponent came at him. He was even slower than the men at the seal had been. He wouldn't even need to focus to deal with this one. He raised his training sword to parry the first attempted swing, then adjusted it to block another, and another. He kept this up for five more swings until he saw his attack getting frantic and frustrated.

He dodged to one side as another vertical strike came at him, missing him completely as he circled his opponent in the blink of an eye. A moment later his sword descended towards the man's open back. His opponent reacted only just barely in time, stumbling away and raising his sword to block.

The strike put him off-balance, and Rami went on the offensive. One blow struck the man's blade, then another, until the third sent it flying out of his hands. At last a final blow came down on his opponent's shoulder, stopping just short of actually hitting him. Rami held his position as his victory became apparent to all present.

"He's so _fast!_ " Piastol sounded ecstatic as she practically bounced in placed with excitement, clapping her hands and cheering.

"I thought you were kidding about not getting hit…" The soldier said, his voice much quieter than before, and the uniformed man who'd been Rami's opponent slowly pulled away with his face much paler than before.

Doc was grinning as he seemed to look Rami over with a new appreciation. "I guess the Admiral knows how to pick 'em. You sure you don't wanna just join the armada?" He said.

Rami eyed the sword in his hand for a moment before smiling back at Doc. "We'll see about that."


	3. Reborn in Black

Rami adjusted with surprising ease to life on the Aquila. It was more pleasant than he'd expected of a military ship; as a flagship, it was outfitted to serve the needs of both troops and families. On top of that, the people he shared the space with were markedly more agreeable than the Elders had led him to expect. Though he was careful to maintain a sense of professional distance, he could feel that distance slipping some days.

Since he wasn't technically a member of the armada, the things that could be asked of him were relatively few. However, after his performance in the training room on the day of his arrival, he'd quickly found a niche as an able combat trainer, whipping the admiral's best men into fighting shape.

He reflected that most of them still had a long way to go, however, as he casually disarmed sergeant Emilio for the third time that day. The redheaded young man flinched as the wooden practice sword tumbled from his hands, and Rami could practically see the fire going out of him as the silver-haired youth placed his own training sword on the man's shoulder.

"You win again…" Emilio said with a sigh.

"You need to work on your reflexes, Emil." Rami chided him as he took a step back and lowered his sword arm again. "The number one problem I've run into with all you soldier types is that you're too dependent upon armor and brute strength to win fights. You need to be faster both in your movements and your reactions."

"Right, yeah. I'll work on that." The redhead said as he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "After I've had something to drink." With that, Emilio departed the training room. Only a few soldiers remained, and Rami had already sparred with most of them today. It seemed like things were winding down for the day.

Before the door could close all the way behind Emilio, it opened again to admit someone new. "Ramiiiirez!" That girlish, singsong voice could only belong to one person.

"Hey, Piastol." Rami greeted the girl as she stepped into the room and surveyed the soldiers he'd been training that day. She was wearing another of her dresses today - this time, a blue one with white accents.

"I knew I'd find you here!" She said with a victorious smile. "You love swinging a sword even more than you love that fancy ship of yours."

Rami grimaced. "I don't love either of those things. They're just jobs, is all."

"Well then I guess swords must just really love _you!_ " The girl said, positively beaming as she shuffled over to where Emilio had been standing a minute before, turning away from him slightly.

Rami could guess what she wanted. "Maybe so." He twirled the practice sword in his hand once before catching the end with his free hand, holding it horizontally in front of him like a guard. "I can tell you're itching to practice, too."

"You know me too well!" She said, giggling as she spun around to face him, her hands held out to either side of her with her fingers splayed apart. Between each finger she held several pebbles, and before he could respond she spun towards him, beginning to fling one after another in his direction with each flick of her wrist.

Immediately he began moving his practice sword to intercept them, one by one, as they came at him almost too fast to pick out individually. It got a little harder to stop them when she started varying her targets, and eventually one struck him on the hand, stinging him slightly. "Hey, that's one-" He began, only to be interrupted by a second striking his cheek a moment later.

"More like two!" She declared triumphantly as she showed him her empty hands, all out of projectiles to fling at him.

He had to smile at the excitement in her voice. Back when she'd first started practicing her throwing with him, she'd never been able to slip even one past his guard. "You're getting better, Pia. I'm proud of you."

"Next you gotta teach me how to move as fast as you do!" She said, grinning ear to ear. "I wanna be just as good as you when I'm your age."

Rami felt a little embarrassed. She really had been his biggest fan since he'd come aboard the Aquila. "There's more to life than fighting, you know." He admonished her.

"I'll learn other stuff after that, then!" She replied cheerily.

"That's not quite what I meant…" He said with a sigh, before shaking his head. "Alright, you want to know how to move fast? I want you to run from one end of this room to the other. Show me how you do it."

"Yessir!" Piastol raced to the nearest end of the room, taking a deep breath and making sure he was watching before running across it to the other side as quick as she could. She certainly wasn't slow, especially for someone her age, but right away he could pick out a few things that were slowing her down.

"How'd I do?" She asked him, eyeing him with earnest curiosity.

"Pretty well. There's a few things you could be doing better, though." He pointed a finger at her feet. "You shouldn't run on your soles. Land on your toes and you'll move faster." She nodded at him as he continued. "You also need a more even stride. If you're not covering a good distance with every step, it doesn't really matter how fast you can put one foot in front of the other."

She frowned thoughtfully as she considered his advice, before nodding with a hopeful expression on her face. "Okay! I'll practice that as much as I can!"

He grinned at her. The two girls couldn't be more different, but she still reminded him of Fina. "I'm pretty tired, so I think I'm done here for the day, okay?" He said, gently setting a hand on her shoulder.

"Awwww… I guess you can go." She said, pouting at him like a pro.

"We'll practice more tomorrow! Don't be a sour puss." He said as he straightened up and set his practice sword aside.

"Are you gonna go work on your ship again?" She asked him.

Rami nodded wearily. Fixing his ship was, surprisingly, the least enjoyable part about most of his days. "Yeah. It's not going to fix itself." He gave her one last smile as he headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Piastol."

"Bye bye!" She replied, waving goodbye with childlike enthusiasm.

* * *

Rami squinted into the small compartment he'd opened in the side of his ship. While he'd done plenty of studying during his time on the Great Silver Shrine, he had never quite gotten to the point of doing work with electronics or advanced machinery. Thus, he'd been building most of his understanding as he went, and it meant that repairs were going at a slow pace.

He sighed as he carefully picked out a few more broken parts and set them aside, scanning the area once more before shutting the compartment. Once it was shut, it blended in almost perfectly with the surrounding metal. He still didn't quite understand how that worked, and it had been quite a pain at first to determine how to actually get at his ship's circuitry.

"Going to need about a dozen more moonstone cables…" He muttered to himself as he jotted the information down on a sheet of paper he had nearby. He'd been getting most of his new materials from the engineers aboard the Aquila. Mendosa himself had cleared him to request whatever he needed in order to repair his ship.

He wasn't sure how, but he was determined to pay the old man back someday. If nothing else, his time on the Aquila had certainly softened his perception of the people of Arcadia. Their civilization might be more primitive, but they seemed like good people to him.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew his eyes up to the stairs leading down into the cargo hold where his ship had been deposited after it had first been hauled aboard. Rami smiled a little as the familiar form of Doc came into view. For once, he wasn't wearing his white coat, just his curious blue uniform. It reminded the young silvite a little of the clothes he used to wear, but slightly simpler. He wondered if they were both modeled on something similar.

"Hey, Ramirez. Still working on that clunker, huh?" Doc greeted him jovially.

Rami straightened up from where he'd been scribbling away at his list, and nodded. "As always. Much as I like it here, I can't really ignore the task in front of me." He leaned to one side and tapped his knuckles against the side of his ship. It made a faint ringing sound. "Besides, it's my only reminder of home. I'm not going to just let it rust."

Doc crossed his arms as his gaze flickered over the silvite ship for a moment before returning to his silver-haired friend. "If that thing even _can_ rust. The engineers tell me they still don't know what kind of alloy that thing's made of."

That got a grin out of Rami. "It's a secret, I'm afraid."

Doc returned his smile, strolling over to lean on the table where Rami had been writing a minute ago. "I guess we've all got a few of those. Speaking of, when are you going to get around to telling me about your past?"

Rami winced. He wasn't sure he'd ever be willing to tell an Arcadian the full story. "Someday…" He finally said in as noncommittal as tone as was possible. Seeing the frown forming on his friend's face, he hastened to add, "I'll tell you what I can when I'm done fixing the ship. Okay?"

Doc shrugged. "I suppose it's better than nothing." He scratched his chin idly as he began to eye Rami critically. "So you're really set on leaving, then?"

The younger man avoided his gaze. He didn't particularly _want_ to leave at this point, but… he had a job to do, didn't he? The more he stayed with the Arcadians, the more he knew he'd want to, and the less likely he'd be to eventually get back on track. He couldn't allow that to happen, even if it was enticing. "I am. My mission is important to me. Even if I will miss you all…" He admitted.

In the several weeks he'd known the man, Rami had often observed that Doc was very cagey about his emotions. It had taken him awhile to be able to read his expressions. But right now, the sadness was obvious as he briefly glanced the older man's way. "If you say so. But once you're done, you better come back and visit." He finally said, nudging the younger man's shoulder as a small smile formed on his lips.

Rami felt himself smiling too at Doc's quiet reassurance. These people really were his friends. "Of course." He replied. He ended up staring at his ship again. It was a stark reminder of where he'd come from. Cold, sterile silver. Built for one passenger. Quiet, fast and efficient. It was so unlike the world he'd come to know since coming aboard the Aquila.

He wasn't sure he wanted to fly it ever again.

* * *

Rami twirled the little piece of wood between his fingertips as he reflected that the Aquila really was a totally different world from the one he'd grown up in. As he fitted the rigging for another mast into place, he listened to the distant hum of the engines as the ship traveled through Ixa'taka on one of its routine patrols.

He'd always enjoyed building models like these, and though the quality of the supplies on the Aquila was lower than that which could be synthesized by the androids on the shrine, he actually found he liked it better. Wood cut from actual forests by human hands felt so much more real to him than something that had been composed by a machine.

He was in the middle of examining his half-finished work when a knock at the door drew his attention. He rose to his feet and strode across the empty barracks to open it. A little girl awaited him on the other side, and she grinned as she caught sight of him. "Ramirez! Watcha doin'?" She asked him in the singsong voice she usually greeted him with.

"Good afternoon, Piastol." He replied as he opened the door wider to let her in. "I'm just enjoying a little free time while the guys are off doing one of their inspections." Normally, the barracks would be bustling, but with most of Mendosa's men out and about today, he had them all to himself.

"I don't see this place much. Emilio tells me it's not a place for little girls…" She said with a small pout as she looked around the room.

Rami felt a little twinge of discomfort as he considered some of the topics he'd heard the others discuss in here. Emil was probably right about that. "Well, normally I'd agree with him, but I think today we can let it slide."

Her grin returned in a flash. "Cool!" She said, continuing her exploration for a moment more before she froze, eyes fixed on the half-finished model sitting on one of the tables in the back of the room. "What's that?" She asked excitedly as she turned back around to face him.

He blinked in surprise at the enthusiasm she displayed. He hadn't expected her to be interested in his craftsmanship. "Oh, that's my project for today. I'm building a fishing boat." He said as he strolled over to the table and took a seat in one of the chairs nearby. "I've always liked making stuff with my hands, ever since I was a kid." He explained.

Piastol hurried over to the table as he spoke, surveying his creation from bow to stern with eyes alight with curiosity. "How did you make all this?" She said, sounding a little overawed.

Rami gave her a bemused smile. "Well, there's lots of wood in Ixa'taka. I asked Mendosa if I could borrow some smaller pieces, then carved them into the shapes I wanted. Then I stuck them together with glue. Pretty simple, really."

She stared at him like he had just explained how to build a moonstone engine. "You carved the pieces?"

He blinked at her. "Well, yeah. I had to if they were going to be the right shape."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "But they're so perfect! All the sides are smooth, and they're not bent or crushed at all…"

Rami frowned as he considered what she was saying. Suddenly something clicked in his head. "Piastol, are you saying you've tried woodcarving before?"

"Well, duh!" She gave him an exasperated look. "If I'm going to be the best with a knife, I need to know how to make things with them too…" She said, trailing off as her expression became a little sad. "But… I can't. My fingers get all shaky and I can't make the shapes I see in my head."

"How many times have you tried it?" He asked her, leaning forward a little as he eyed the girl with a newfound appreciation.

"Once or twice…" She said, her disheartened tone persisting.

"Well that's your problem, then." He said, smiling at her encouragingly. "Just because you can fling a knife like a pro doesn't mean you're automatically going to be good at every other use of a blade. Delicate things like this take a lot of practice."

Her pout was back. "But practice is boooooring." She complained.

He reached out and poked her forehead with a fingertip, making her wobble back a step with a glare in his direction. "Maybe so, but it makes you much better at the things you do, and I promise you, it's a lot more fun to do things you're good at." He smirked at her. "Like throwing knives, for example."

That got a smile out of her at last, and she nodded. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll keep practicing, then." She relented, before giving his incomplete model another look. "Can I help you build the rest of this, though?" She asked, giving him a pleading look.

He almost laughed. She didn't need to give him those eyes to get him to agree to something as simple as this. "Of course you can. I'd be glad to have the extra hands."

She beamed at him for a moment before another knock at the door drew both of their attentions. He rose from his seat to answer it, to find Doc standing on the other side. The older man surveyed the room behind him before grinning as he caught sight of Piastol. "I thought you might've snuck in here. Your mother's asking for you."

"Awwww… But I was having fun!" She protested. A stern look from Doc quickly quieted her, and she heaved a small sigh before trudging over to the open door and giving Rami one last look. "Don't finish the ship without me!" She said.

"I won't. Promise." Rami replied, and the two of them waved goodbye to each other as she rushed off down the hall.

Doc watched her go before turning to Rami again. "That little girl sure can't get enough of you." He observed.

The silvite felt just a little embarrassed at the man's tone. "I really can't fathom why."

Doc chuckled as he leaned against the doorway. "Don't sell yourself short, kid. You've got a remarkable way with people."

He still had a hard time believing that, after spending most of his life isolated aboard the Great Silver Shrine. "You think so?" The young man replied a little skeptically.

Doc looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Yeah. You've got this, I don't know… enthusiasm about you that I don't see from other guys your age. Most of 'em are bored or distant. You, you're always happy to be talking to someone."

Rami did his best not to grimace. He felt that way because this was his first time being able to talk to so many new people. Every conversation was a new experience for him, and he'd been indulging himself in those experiences since he got here.

He really didn't want to leave.

"Doc… Can I tell you a story?" He finally replied, looking a little distant.

Doc frowned at him for a moment before nodding. "Uh, sure."

"Thanks." Rami replied, stepping out of the room and letting the door shut behind him before leaning against the wall of the hallway. "It's a story about a young boy."

Doc nodded, but said nothing, apparently content to just listen. Rami took a deep breath before continuing. "He grew up almost completely alone in a cold, quiet place. He was taken care of by a circle of old men who he only rarely saw, but who saw to it that his every need would be taken care of."

Doc was frowning now. Rami ignored it and kept going. "They taught him to be a model human being. Strong, fast, intelligent, and skilled. They raised him like that until he was a young man, and then they cast him out into the world with a mission of incredible scope, which they believed only someone as perfectly-conditioned as he could carry out."

"But… he failed. He made mistakes, and he got frustrated, and eventually, he became lost. He drifted for a long while, until some new people found him." Rami stared at the floor as he finished his story. "Those people were so unlike the old men. But though they couldn't give him the world like the old men had, they were more a family to him than anyone else had ever been."

Doc eyed him warily for a minute before sighing. "And what did the boy do then?" He asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that part out." Rami admitted.

"Well, you've got until your ship's fixed to do that, don't you?" Doc offered consolingly.

Rami closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. "Doc, the ship's been fixed for half a week now."

Doc's eyes widened. "What? And you've just been sitting on that the whole time?"

Rami nodded slowly. "I don't want to leave."

"I've stressed over and over again that you don't have to." Doc replied.

"But I have a mission…" Rami protested. "Besides, I feel like if I stay any longer, I'll be imposing on Mendosa's hospitality. He's already done so much for me…"

"Wellll…" Doc said, and the thoughtful tone in his voice made Rami open his eyes again to give him a quizzical look. "You could always join the armada. You'd be able to pay back your debt to Mendosa, and we might even be able to help you with that mission of yours."

Arcadians helping him to find the crystals he was supposed to be keeping from the Arcadians? He grinned at the thought. It would be rendering the purpose of the mission almost completely moot.

But maybe the Elders were wrong. Maybe the Arcadians could be trusted not to do wrong with knowledge of the crystals. And even if they did try to do something bad, he could always stop them, couldn't he? He thought for another moment about departing on his ship, being surrounded by the cold, smooth metal as the ship silently drifted through the skies once more.

And with that, he knew what to say. "Doc… Can you come with me to see the admiral? I think maybe it's time I paid back what I owed him." He said with a hint of a smile.

Doc was smiling back at him. "You know the admiral would be willing to see just you, too."

"Yeah, but I'll feel better having you along." Rami clasped his hands together in a small pleading gesture. "Indulge me this once?"

Doc laughed and nodded. "Alright. Let's go see what Mendosa has to say."

* * *

"Wow. The new armor looks sharp on you." Doc observed as he eyed their new recruit up and down.

"Thanks, Doc." Rami replied, feeling his cheeks heat a little at the compliment. He looked down at himself again, at his new armor - Black plate with golden accents and decals, the armor worn by Mendosa's own men. It was heavier than what he usually wore, but it felt good all the same.

"Does this mean you're planning to stay, Ramirez?" Piastol said, a hopeful look in her eyes as she gazed up at him.

"Yeah… I guess it does." Rami admitted.

"Yay!" The little girl bounced excitedly on her heels as she celebrated that fact. "Ramirez is going to stay! Ramirez is going to staaaay!"

"Don't get too excited or you'll wear yourself out before the day's even started." Doc teased her before turning his attention back to Rami. "I guess this is really it, then. You're part of the armada now."

"It's a little weird to think about." Rami said as he glanced back and forth between his friends. "I'm even supposed to help complete the mine inspections today."

Doc grinned at the news. "I'm sure you'll do great. Inspection's pretty easy. Emil and the rest of the boys can walk you through it."

"Ramirez is gonna inspect the heck out of that mine!" Piastol added, calming down a little but looking like she still had a lot of excitement bottled up.

Rami nervously ran a few fingers back through his silver hair as he nodded at the two of them. "I appreciate the confidence. I'll do my best." He said.

Just then, the redheaded sergeant Emilio poked his head in through a nearby door. "Ramirez, it's time for us to get going. The Aquila's setting down now."

"Right." Rami said. "See you later, guys." He waved goodbye to Doc and Piastol as he followed Emilio to the lower deck of the ship, where the rest of the men waited to disembark. "So how does all this work, Emil?" Rami asked of the man guiding him.

"Oh, it's real simple. We patrol the mines for a while, make sure no monsters are stirring up trouble, and keep the miners in line. Easy stuff." The redhead said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Keep the miners in line?" Rami asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Emil looked over his shoulder and grinned at the silvite as they reached the door to the lower deck. "You'll see when we get there." He donned his helmet as he turned back to the door, and Rami did the same as he vexed over what Emil could mean. Emil opened the door, and the two of them stepped out onto the deck.

"Alright, boys! Let's be quick about this. Team Serpent will handle the innermost mines, Team Auriga will deal with the exterior, and Team Aquila will be with me covering the middle." Emil's voice was muffled a little by his helmet, but his commands were met with immediate nods from his fellows. "Move out!"

Rami moved to follow Emil as they disembarked from the Aquila, and onto the path leading into the massive mining complex known as Moon Stone Mountain. It was a large, isolated peak in southern Ixa'taka that Rami had been informed was packed full of large moon stone deposits. The Valuans had been mining it since they first discovered the lands of the green moon.

Sunlight quickly faded behind them to be replaced with the dim light of lamps as Emil, Rami and the two others composing Team Aquila made their way into the nearest entrance to the mines. Almost immediately, Rami began to realize something was wrong. As they walked across an elevated walkway above an open tunnel, he saw that the men picking away at the green stones embedded in the walls were Ixa'takans, not Valuans.

What was worse, as they descended into the tunnels, the two soldiers that had been accompanying him and Emil immediately broke off to begin hassling some of the slower miners. While one of the harried Ixa'takans began to work faster, the other did not, and at once the soldier nearest him began striking him with the butt of his sword.

Rami gawked from behind his visor, before turning to Emil. "What is he doing that for? Shouldn't we stop him?" He said frantically.

He couldn't see Emil's expression behind the man's helmet, but the tone of his voice suggested he was unconcerned. "What? Why? He's just doing his job." Rami stopped in his tracks as he stared after the man who, until a minute ago, he'd thought was one of the friendliest soldiers he'd ever met. Emil turned back to face him again as he realized he wasn't moving. "Come on, Ramirez. We've got ground to cover."

Rami gave the unfortunate Ixa'takan one last look. He was an unremarkable-looking middle aged man, and he had collapsed to his knees at the soldier's feet as the latter scolded him fiercely. Then he grit his teeth and followed Emil deeper into the mines.

The lights got fewer and the tunnels narrower as they went further into the mountain, and he could distantly hear the sounds of picks striking stone echoing through the tunnels. Just as he was beginning to get over what he'd seen a few minutes earlier, Emil's shouting caught his attention. "Swarmers! Ramirez, give me a hand here!"

The sergeant rushed on ahead further down the tunnel, and Rami hurried to follow him. They soon came out into a larger, more open room which had apparently been dug out from all sides. A few miners occupied it, and they pressed themselves up against the walls of the room to avoid the attentions of several monstrous-looking worm-like creatures that were slowly drawing closer.

Emil quickly went to work cutting them down, and Rami drew his sword and began to do the same, effortlessly downing one after another until all the creatures had fallen. Emil breathed a sigh of relief through his helmet as he observed their work. "Damn things must've made a nest somewhere further down." He pointed at Rami. "You handle these miners while I go deal with it."

With that, Emil carried on down another nearby tunnel, leaving Rami in a room with several frightened-looking Ixa'takans. "It's… It's okay, guys. You can get back to work."

The Ixa'takans looked at one another, then back at him. He saw a glimmer of fear in the eyes of some, and those were the ones that got up and back to work the fastest. The others slowly began to follow suit, until only one was conspicuously left out, sitting and leaning against the wall with his pick discarded to one side.

Rami stared at him for a long moment before approaching. "Uhm… sir?" He said tentatively.

The Ixa'takan looked up at him. He was by far the oldest of the bunch, with most of the hair on his head missing and his beard clearly beginning to turn grey. The elderly man said nothing, but a moment later he spat on the leg of Rami's armor.

"What was that for?" Rami asked him, a little indignant. He _had_ just rescued the man, after all.

"Valuan scum…" The man said, his voice raspy. "I don't care what you do to me anymore…" The man began to cough as he finished his sentence, and soon devolved into a series of wheezing coughs.

Rami felt a flicker of alarm as he saw the pain on the man's face, and he knelt down in front of him as he reached a hand out towards the elderly Ixa'takan's chest. "Moons, purify this man's body." His hands glowed with a silver light as he felt the blessings of the silver moon run through him, and a moment later, the man's coughing subsided.

The elderly Ixa'takan blinked several times before looking at Rami with a quizzical expression. "What… what magic was that?"

Rami sighed and pulled off his helmet, setting it aside as he inspected the man carefully. He looked gaunt and tired, like he'd been seriously overworked. "It's silver magic. It'll help your body recover from whatever's making you sick." He explained.

The miner was staring at him even more intently now. Rami raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

"You are no Valuan." The Ixa'takan observed, eyeing the younger man's silver hair with a curious reverence. "Perhaps you are a servant of Quetya?"

"I don't… know who that is." Rami admitted with a frown.

The man gave him a serious look. "If you are not a servant of Quetya, and you are not here to hurt us, then why have you come?"

Rami was starting to doubt he knew the answer to that, himself. "I didn't… I don't… What are they doing to you all down here? I haven't been a part of the armada for long. This is my first time seeing all this…" He said.

"Curious, that you would join them without knowing their true colors." The Ixa'takan observed. Rami shivered. It hit uncomfortably close to home.

When he didn't say anything, the old miner sighed and continued. "The Valuans came here many years ago and said they wanted moon stones. We said we only had so many, but that made them angry. They attacked our villages and killed our people. We pointed them here, to the great mountain, but then they said they did not have the men to mine it."

"After our king went into hiding, the wise men of the villages decided to make a treaty. We would dig up the moon stones, and let them stay in our lands. In exchange, they would not burn our villages anymore. They would stop killing our families." The Ixa'takan's eyes were very distant as he finished. "Those of us who are sent to the mines never leave. We are worked until we are no longer useful."

Rami lowered his head. "I had no idea… I'm sorry for all the trouble they've caused you." He grit his teeth. Was this the work of the soldiers who'd first come to Ixa'taka? Mendosa needed to be informed of this, he thought. Then things could be made right. This brutality was unacceptable. "I'll do what I can to make things better."

The old Ixa'takan eyed him warily, and for a moment Rami felt upset by that. He was doing his best, wasn't he? He quickly shook that flash of anger away as he stood up and turned away. The old man said nothing more as he donned his helmet again.

A minute later, he heard footsteps approaching from the nearby tunnel, and soon after Emil emerged, a few spatters of beast blood covering his armor. "The nest is dealt with. I think we're done here, Ramirez." He said looking around the room at the miners. Even the old man had gone back to work. "You did a good job." He offered reassuringly.

"Yeah… Thanks." Rami said, not at all in the mood to be praised at that moment. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Have you seen the way they're treated, Doc?" Rami snapped.

"Well, yeah, but…" Doc began.

"But you don't do anything? What I saw happening in those mines was barbaric!" Rami said, for once having trouble controlling his voice.

Doc looked very sad as he stared at the silver-haired young man before him, who had clearly been shaken by his experiences in the mines. "Ramirez… This is just how Valua does things, you know? We're just grunts, soldiers, the lowest guys on the ladder. We can't change the way they do things right now."

Rami shook his head vigorously. "There must be something. Anything. I can't get it out of my head, what was happening in there…"

Doc sighed. "Well, you could always stick it out with the armada. With your talents, you'd get promoted lightning fast. Maybe then you could start pushing for some policy changes."

"No, no… that'll take too long. Half the people in this mine will be dead and replaced by the time I'm high up enough to make a difference." Rami said, rubbing away a headache that was threatening his temples. "Perhaps I really can talk to Mendosa about it. He's already got influence…"

Doc looked uncomfortable as he glanced away from his friend. "I don't know about that, Ramirez... "

Despite Doc's lack of confidence in the idea, Rami was starting to feel excited about his plan. Yes, admiral Mendosa would do something about all this. He was far too kind of a man to let something like this keep happening under his watch. "No, I think that's just what I'm going to do. I think Mendosa will agree with me." He said, nodding seriously.

Doc's shoulders sagged, as if a heavy weight had descended upon him. "Ramirez…"

Rami was already heading for the door. "I'll see you later, Doc. I've got to go talk to him right now, before anyone else can get hurt."

Doc watched him go, his frown heavy on his face. "That poor kid…" He said, shaking his head slowly as he turned to head back to his room.

Rami knocked quickly on the door to Mendosa's office as soon as he got there. A moment later it opened to reveal the smiling face of the admiral. "Ah, Ramirez! Come in, come in! I hear you just got back from your first assignment as a member of the armada." He said, opening the door wider and making a welcoming gesture with one arm.

Rami quickly stepped inside. "Thank you, admiral. Yes, I did just get back, and I had some things I wanted to talk to you about."

"Of course, of course. Have a seat." Mendosa said, gesturing to a comfortable-looking chair across from his desk. Mendosa took his seat behind the desk as Rami sat down in the offered spot. "What do you need, my boy?"

Rami took a deep breath. He could only hope he wasn't about to upset the admiral with what he said. "Admiral Mendosa… I'm concerned with the way the Ixa'takans are being treated. Especially in the mines."

Mendosa looked taken aback. "Oh? Are you now?" He asked. "And what is happening in the mines?"

Rami stared at the floor as he recounted his experiences. "They're being beaten, and worked to the bone day and night. They have to contend with monster nests and have little food, from what I could tell. It's a horrible place."

Mendosa gasped. "Goodness, me! That sounds absolutely terrible." He replied.

Rami nodded gravely. "Is there anything you can do about it, admiral?" He asked.

Mendosa stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "Mmm, yes. I believe so. It's a bit tricky, though, you see. I don't quite have direct control over the policies enacted in Ixa'taka - it's a dominion of the empire, so it's actually operated directly under the empress's orders."

Rami grimaced. "Surely there's something you can do…" He said weakly.

The old admiral grinned at his silver-haired soldier. "Don't worry, my boy! As it happens, now that we're done with the inspections, we'll be heading back to Valua for a bit to file some official reports. I'll be visiting the palace during that time, and you have my word that I will bring your concerns directly to the empress herself."

Rami's eyes widened. "You will?" He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling for the first time since he'd gone into the mines. "Thank you, admiral! That's a huge weight off my mind. I know you'll make her see the light."

Admiral Mendosa nodded. "Of course! It's the least I can do in the face of such awful travesty." He gave Rami a warm smile before continuing. "Was there anything else you needed while you were here?"

The admiral really was amazing, Rami reflected, like the father he'd never had. Already he felt much better about the prospects of the Ixa'takans. "No, sir. That's all I needed to hear." He said as he rose from his seat.

"Wonderful! I'm glad I could ease your mind." The admiral said. "You should get ready for a trip, though. We'll be departing for the Valuan capital within the day."

The Valuan capital - supposedly the most advanced city in modern Arcadia. Rami wondered just what it would be like. He gave the admiral one last smile before heading for the door. "I look forward to our arrival."

* * *

The Valuan Grand Fortress was truly impressive, even for Rami. It was massive in scale, perhaps even larger than the Great SIlver Shrine. Though its construction was not quite as smooth and advanced as the architecture of the shrine, it was still a work of art as engineering went. He had to give the Valuans credit for that.

He disembarked the Aquila alongside Mendosa, Piastol and Emil, and together they stepped into one of the fortress's many docking ports. "Why don't you boys spend some time around here and make sure the Aquila stays put while I'm at the palace?" Mendosa suggested cheerily as he took his daughter's hand.

"I know you'll love the fortress, Ramirez." Piastol said with a grin.

"I'm sure I will." Rami said with a smile back at the girl.

"We'll keep an eye on the ship, sir." Emil said seriously as he saluted his superior somewhat stiffly. After a moment, Rami followed suit.

Mendosa nodded, satisfied. "I'll be counting on you two, then." He said before leading Piastol off and out of the room with him.

Emil and Rami watched them go before Emil waved a hand at him, walking towards the door himself with a grin on his face. "C'mon. We may have to guard the ship, but we don't have to stand around in this dark hangar while we do that."

Rami followed him through the short tunnel, and on the other side his eyes widened as he found himself facing the gleaming lights of the upper city of Valua. In the distance, the palace sparkled like a yellow jewel set against the mountains behind it. "Wow." He said.

Emil grinned as he nudged his friend's shoulder. "The admiral gets the hangar closest to the rail car depot, so we always get a view when we're here waiting for him. One of the best views in Valua." He boasted.

As he leaned forward and set his hands on the railing, Rami had to admit that Emil had a point. Valua was a good-looking city, even with the gloomy skies that always hung over it. They made the lights look all the brighter. He reflected that if anyone was going to catch up to the legacy of the silvites, it would probably be the Valuans. "It's impressive, for sure."

"The Grand Fortress is nothing to sneeze at, either. We've got some of the best soldiers in the world here, as well as the biggest cannons. You know, during the Valua-Nasr war, a hundred ships tried to break through the gate for a week. Not one of 'em got through." The redhead said proudly.

"So I've heard." Rami said with a small smile. "It's a shame so many people died in the war, though."

Emil's grin faded slightly as he nodded. "Yeah. It was a brutal conflict. As good as it was to see the Grand Fortress hold during that assault, it doesn't make up for all the good men we lost back then. We might've lost even more if it weren't for admiral Galcian…" he mused.

"Admiral Galcian?" Rami asked curiously, glancing at his friend.

"What, you don't know Galcian?" Emil said incredulously. "He's incredible. They say he's the best military commander in a century, that he's, uh…" the man trailed off as he turned his head to look away, staring at something further down the walkway they were standing on.

"Emil?" Rami asked, setting a hand on the man's shoulder.

His friend was suddenly very stiff. "If… If I'm not mistaken, that's him right there." He said in a slightly shaky voice, and suddenly he was standing up straight as he moved to stand next to the doorway to the hanger. "Quick, get on the other side and look smart." He ordered.

Rami glanced down the walkway to see someone tall approaching, wearing a black cloak that covered his body. He frowned as he watched the stranger for a moment before complying with Emil's orders, taking up the spot on the other side of the door.

A minute later, the stranger had reached them. He stood taller than the both of them, taller even than Doc. His silver eyes were cold and piercing as he stared first at Emil, then at Rami. The silvite just barely suppressed a shiver at the intensity of the man's stare as he looked at him.

"Sergeant Emil." His voice was calm and strong, and it was all the more intimidating for the stature of the man it came from. "You're one of Mendosa's men, aren't you?"

Emil nodded once. "That I am, sir. Didn't know you were inspecting the fortress today."

"Surprise inspections allow me to see the men at their worst. Then I know what I am truly dealing with." Galcian explained as he stepped past Emil to stare at Rami again. "Who is this? I've never seen you before."

Rami forced himself to match Galcian's stare as he straightened his back. "I'm sergeant Ramirez of the Aquila. Serving under the honorable admiral Mendosa."

The corner of Galcian's lip curled up in a sneer. "Mendosa? Honorable? What a fool." He said simply.

Rami flinched, then fixed Galcian with a glare. "Are you calling Mendosa a fool? He's wiser than you, I bet."

"Ramirez, watch what you say!" Emil chided him with a note of panic in his voice.

For his part, Galcian only seemed amused by Rami's insubordination. "I wasn't talking about Mendosa. I was calling _you_ a fool for thinking the man has anything resembling honor."

Rami grit his teeth. "I won't let you stand there and slander his name." He said, clenching his fists by his sides.

Galcian was unmoved by his threat as he continued to tower over the young silvite. "Contain yourself, sergeant Ramirez. You will only harm your beloved master's image by coming to blows with me."

Rami glanced at Emil, who was looking at him pleadingly, before returning his gaze to Galcian. "Fine." He said begrudgingly.

Galcian appeared satisfied. "I will give you one piece of advice. You are strong - I can see that just at a glance." He leaned a little closer to Rami, enough to make him uncomfortable. "Do not allow yourself to be deceived by powerless men. The powerful are meant to dominate the weak, not the other way around."

Rami raised an eyebrow at him, but Galcian didn't elaborate any further as he turned and began to walk away. The two soldiers watched him go, before Emil breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "By the moons, Ramirez… how you managed to look him in the eye while saying those things is beyond me."

Rami only vaguely heard him. Galcian's words were echoing in his head in a way that made him frustratingly uncertain. He slowly turned his head to look at Emil again. "Emilio… do you know what he was talking about just now? Is there something about Mendosa I don't know?"

Emil tried to hide it, but Rami could see the way he flinched. "Huh? No, nothing. I wouldn't worry about it too much." He said, smiling a moment later.

But like that, doubt began to worm its way into Rami's mind. Something was wrong here. And though he didn't press his friend any further in that moment, as he turned his gaze back to the gleaming city ahead of him, he thought the lights looked just a little dimmer.

* * *

Belleza had adjusted easily to palace life in the few months she'd been there. Perhaps it was the increased comfort, or perhaps it was because it suited her more analytical style of approaching problems.

Or perhaps, she reflected as his hand ran through her hair, it was because it put her closer to Enrique. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in violet?" He asked her.

She grinned at him, leaning a little closer. "Maybe a few dozen times." She said sultrily.

As he leaned closer and kissed her, she considered that he was the most likely reason that her transition to the royal guard had been so comfortable. She doubted most people in her position got quite so many perks as she did, though he would always try to write them off as "just part of the job".

At first, she'd been hesitant to dig up her old feelings for him. He was a prince, and she was in his palace, and as a servant of his, no less. If ever they were discovered, the potential for scandal was, frankly, enormous. But time away from him had, ironically, taught her how rare a bond like theirs was, and their budding romance had been rekindled with remarkable quickness upon her return.

She pulled away with a sigh as she nuzzled against his chest. They could only do things like this when they were alone. It was a frustrating restriction, but not an insurmountable one, especially given that Enrique could simply tell people where to be at any given time.

Today, however, she noticed that her prince was looking distinctly unhappy. She brushed the back of her hand against his cheek as she spoke. "What's wrong?" She asked.

He gave her a weak smile as he heard her voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the moment by getting distant." He exhaled wearily as he let his arms slip away from her form and took a step back to sit down in a nearby chair. "My mother has been giving me trouble of late. It seems like no matter what I tell her, or what evidence I present to her, she'll never listen to me."

"She's still determined to expand the empire by force?" Belleza said despondently. "I thought you were starting to make progress with her…"

"I was, but… She always backpedals when it's time to commit to change. She's been like this ever since my father died, really…" He said, and for a moment his eyes were distant again.

She gently set a hand on his as she sat down in the seat beside him, and like that he was back, staring at her again. "You've got to convince her, somehow. If another war breaks out with Nasr, so many more people will die… more little girls will lose their fathers."

He squeezed her hand gently in his. "I promised you I wouldn't let that happen again, and I meant it."

It was her turn to struggle with a smile. "I really hope you can keep that promise…" She said.

"I will, Belleza. Trust me." He assured her. It made her feel a little better, and she closed her eyes as she took a few calming breaths.

They were quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "So, Bella… Have you given any further consideration to my offer?" He said quietly as the weight of their previous conversation began to fade. "We could go public…"

She opened her eyes with a frown, glancing at him. "You know how that would go, Enrique."

He shook his head. "We won't know until we try it."

She sat up slowly, her frown refusing to fade. "Your mother won't accept it. She'll have me tossed out of the palace, and she'll do everything in her power to keep you from me. You know it won't work."

"Maybe, but… I just…" He tried several times to debate her argument, but even as articulate as he was, he couldn't convince himself otherwise. "I just really hate that we have to sneak around like this." He admitted.

She nodded slowly in agreement. "I know. It hurts me too. But for now, it's what we have to do." She leaned over her armrest and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you. We'll figure something out eventually. I'll be happy with what we have until then."

He gently rubbed his cheek where she'd kissed it, smiling faintly. "I love you too, Belleza."

In the distance, a bell rang, and the redhead slowly rose to her feet with a small groan of protest. "It sounds like it's time for me to get back on duty. I'll be missed soon." She said reluctantly.

Enrique stood beside her a moment later. "I'll escort you back to the main hall, at least."

She smiled at his chivalry. "I'd like that." She said, and together they left the room.

As they entered the main hall together a minute later, they realized they were not alone. Enrique quietly took a step away from her as the visitors caught sight of them. The young prince smiled as he recognized them. "Admiral Mendosa. It's good to see you." He greeted the older gentleman as he approached.

The admiral looked a bit flustered as he recognized who had greeted him, and he bowed his head low as he approached. "Prince Enrique! You've grown so much taller since I last saw you. You're truly becoming a man now."

Belleza felt a little flustered herself as she considered all the ways she'd been helping the prince become a man recently, but Enrique was evidently unfazed. "Everyone has to grow up eventually." He said.

From behind Mendosa a childish voice emerged. "Hey! Don't forget about me!" A young girl in a black dress was suddenly beside the admiral, grinning up at the prince.

Enrique grinned back at her. "It's good to see you too, little Piastol. You're getting taller every time I see you." The girl's grin widened at his words, and, satisfied with her reaction, he turned his attention back to the admiral. "What brings you two back to the capital?"

Mendosa stroked his beard for a moment as he briefly eyed Belleza before replying. "I'm here to report the status of Ixa'taka. Yearly updates and all that. I also needed to inform the brass at the Grand Fortress of my new recruit."

Enrique raised an eyebrow at the older man. "A new recruit? In Ixa'taka?"

Mendosa laughed. "If you can believe it! He's not an Ixa'takan, though. He just sort of blew in one day, his ship all broken up. We took him in, and wouldn't you know it, he's one of the best swordsmen I've ever seen." He leaned a little closer to the prince, speaking in an almost conspiratorial whisper. "Between you and me, I think he might even be as good as lord Galcian."

The prince's eyes widened. "That's high praise indeed. I'll have to meet this new recruit of yours soon."

The admiral grinned cheerily. "Maybe you will, someday soon when he's tearing through the ranks." His attention slowly turned to Belleza again. "Speaking of new recruits, who's this young lady? By her armor, one of the royal guard, but she certainly wasn't here the last time I came through."

Belleza flinched as the attention of the group was suddenly on her, and she was careful to meet the admiral's eyes whenever he looked at her. "This is vice-captain Belleza. She joined up a few months ago and has been helping captain Alfonso manage the guard. She's been invaluable in keeping things running." Enrique explained, flashing a smile her way.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, admiral." She said, briefly inclining her head towards him.

"Likewise, miss Belleza. I can tell already that you're going to go far." The admiral said with a knowing look. "I guess you and I both hit the jackpot, eh Enrique?" Mendosa said with another laugh, before sighing softly. "Sorry to say it, but I've got to be going. These reports aren't going to file themselves. Farewell, dear prince." He said before marching off towards one of the doors opposite them.

Enrique and Belleza watched him go. When he was gone, she turned to the young prince with a bemused look. "Well, he certainly was nice."

Enrique gave her a long look, and she had to wonder if he'd seen the same cracks in his performance that she had. "He certainly pretends to be." Enrique said.

* * *

A few hours later, Mendosa returned to the dock of the Aquila. Rami and Emil were both still waiting by the door, and the redheaded soldier saluted smartly as the admiral approached. "It's good to see that you two are so dutiful. I'm glad I could depend on you." He praised them as he reached the doorway.

"You can depend on Ramirez for anything!" Piastol said cheerily from his side.

Rami smiled faintly at the girl before turning his attention to Mendosa. "How did your talk with the empress go?" He asked politely.

The admiral grimaced, and Rami felt a cold flash in his chest. "I'm afraid the empress was not quite on-board with our ideas… but worry not, I'll keep trying to convince her. For now, though, I'm afraid I won't be able to change things too much." He said, frowning at the silver-haired youth before him.

 _He's lying._ An insidious voice whispered in Rami's ear, but there was nobody there. He forced a smile as he saluted the admiral. "I appreciate the effort anyway, sir. See you aboard the Aquila."

His act was apparently enough to convince the admiral, and the older man nodded contentedly as he stepped through the door to the hangar.

"Come on, Ramirez. Let's get the pre-flight checks out of the way and get the Aquila ready to fly." Emil said, and Rami nodded slowly as he followed the redhead into the hangar a moment later. He watched as Mendosa and his daughter disappeared into the ship before turning to see Emil beginning to fiddle with a console nearby.

"Just gotta unlock the docking clamps now and we should be ready…" Emil murmured as he punched a few buttons. Suddenly Rami was beside him, and the redhead flinched a step away. "Woah there, Ramirez. What happened to personal space?"

Rami's eyes were oddly cold as he stared at the sergeant. "You need to tell me what you know about Mendosa, Emil. I know you're hiding something."

Emil got that flicker of worry on his face again. "Th-this again? Come on, I'm not hiding anything." He protested.

He was so bad at lying, Rami reflected as he took another step closer. "Tell. Me. The. Truth." He said calmly and coldly.

Emil's gaze hardened as he stopped backpedaling and stood his ground. "Look, Ramirez. I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you keep this up I'm going to kick your ass."

In a flash, Rami was an inch in front of Emil, and grabbed him by the front of his armor, hauling him close and staring him down. _Don't let him worm his way out of this._ The voice whispered. "Tell me or you die." He hissed, his free hand going to the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly there was fear in the redhead's eyes, and he looked away from Rami's cold silver eyes as he spoke. "O-okay, okay… I'll tell you. Just don't hurt me, alright?" He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's just, sometimes, Mendosa has me and the boys stay in the mine extra late, after closing time. We keep the workers there, too, and then we collect all the moon stones they get and bring them straight to the admiral."

Rami's eyes went wide with realization. Mendosa wasn't just allowing the Ixa'takans to be exploited. He was actively hurting them more for his own gain. _You've been lied to._ The voice in his ear was becoming impossibly seductive. "Thanks, Emil. You've been a great help." He drew his sword and, with a quick motion, cracked the hilt against the side of the man's head. Emil let out a sharp cry before his head slumped forward and his eyes shut.

Rami tossed the unconscious man aside before turning to the console. He finished unlocking the docking clamps before turning away from his former friend and heading for the ship. He had business with admiral Mendosa.

* * *

Rami quietly considered his plan of action as the Aquila left the Grand Fortress and drifted into mid-ocean. His body seethed with barely-restrained anger. It was a feeling he was unfamiliar with. He'd never been so furious before, and he was almost a little afraid of what he might do when he confronted the admiral.

As he brooded in one of the hallways near the admiral's office, a familiar face came by to greet him. "Hey, Ramirez. You don't look so good." Doc said with a look of concern on his face.

Rami's eyes still had a hint of the coldness from before as he looked at his friend. "Doc. Mendosa may not be who we think he is." He said calmly.

Doc gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Rami didn't want to explain it all again. He looked at the floor. "He hurts the Ixa'takans. I doubt he really feels remorse for it."

Doc was quiet for a long moment before he responded. "I know." He said.

Rami's head snapped up to stare at him in disbelief. "You _knew?_ " He hissed.

"Well, yeah. Mendosa was the one who first led the campaign to colonize Ixa'taka, Ramirez. He's always put the interests of the empire above those of others. That's why he's an admiral." Doc explained.

 _They're all monsters._ Rami closed his eyes as he fought to avoid shaking. "Just leave me alone, Doc."

"Ramirez…" Doc said with a quiet pleading tone in his voice.

"Leave me alone." Rami repeated, this time with an icy edge.

He heard the man sigh, and then footsteps retreating in the direction opposite the admiral's office.

Then he turned and headed for the office himself.

He didn't knock before entering. He found the admiral in conference with four of his men, all of them wearing the light armor they usually wore around the ship. They all turned to look at him as he came into the room. "Ramirez? I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment." Mendosa said. "Though, while you're here, have you seen Emilio? I'm afraid I must've lost track of him."

Rami shut the door behind him and fixed the admiral with a hard stare. "Admiral Mendosa. Have you been working the Ixa'takans overtime and taking what they produce for yourself?" He wasn't sure why he posed it as a question. He already knew the answer.

The admiral's eyes widened for a moment before a smile spread over his face. Only, it wasn't like the smiles he usually wore. This one was unpleasant. A sneer, like Galcian had worn when mocking him before. "Ah. That explains Emilio's absence." The admiral steepled his fingers on his desk. "It seems you've stumbled upon an unfortunate truth, my boy."

"So you don't deny it." Rami snarled.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't believe me." Mendosa said with disappointment in his tone. "Alas. I had such high hopes for you, Ramirez. You were almost like a son to me." He glanced to the men at his side. "Kill him, won't you? Sergeant Ramirez has become a problem."

The four men gathered around the admiral drew their swords, and as they did, everything lost its color. The world slowed down as Rami took in everything around him in perfect detail. _Punish them for using you._ He extended his hand, and beneath his armor the bracelet he always wore shattered and reformed in his palm as his familiar silver sword.

Suddenly, time started once more, and the men were rushing at him. He sidestepped two strikes before slashing one man's throat with a flick of his wrist. He quickly deflected a third swing, then kicked the attacker back into the man behind him before whirling and leaving a deep slash in the chest of the one who'd attempted to get behind him.

The injured man stumbled back, and he took the opportunity to turn and rush the two he'd knocked into each other. A flurry of quick slashes cut and pierced them until they would move no more. Then he turned to the last one, who clutched at his chest as he made one last futile charge at his opponent.

They were still too slow, even after all his training. He casually knocked the sword out of the man's hand mid-swing before calmly slashing his throat as well. The last of the admiral's guard collapsed before him, leaving Rami alone with the subject of his ire.

Mendosa's eyes went wide as he rose from his seat, drawing his rapier. "You… you're a monster. What kind of demon are you?" He said as he took a step back. Rami matched his every backwards step with a step forward, until Mendosa's back pressed against a wall.

The admiral growled, realizing his predicament, and charged forward faster than any of his men had, his sword a blur as it began to cross the space between them. "Die, dog!" He spat.

Rami casually sidestepped him before ramming an elbow into the man's stomach, sending him stumbling backwards. He grabbed Mendosa's sword hand and wrestled the blade from his fingers, letting it clatter to the ground before standing in front of the injured and disarmed admiral.

"You won't get away with this. I'm an admiral of the imperial armada. Kill me and you'll have all of Valua on your heels for the rest of your life." Mendosa warned desperately.

 _The weak trying to control the strong._ The voice echoed Galcian's words. Rami slammed Mendosa against the wall with one arm before impaling him with his sword. The admiral let out a pitiful cry as Rami withdrew his sword, and the older man crumpled to the floor clutching at his chest. "Y-you… rat…" He whispered as he struggled to remain conscious.

Rami slowly paced to the door, stepping over the bodies of the men he'd killed moments ago, before turning to face Mendosa, sitting at the other end of the room and glaring daggers at him as he nursed his soon-to-be-fatal wound. "Mendosa… Thank you for teaching me not to trust your kind any longer." Rami said with a bitter smile.

He raised his hand, palm facing towards the admiral. "Moons, consecrate this place." As he spoke, warmth blossomed from his palm, and suddenly a small, swirling ball of fire began to drift away from it and towards Mendosa. Rami savored the look of fear and realization in the admiral's eyes for a moment before stepping out the door and into the hallway.

He managed to walk a short distance away before a fiery explosion tore through the ship, rocking the floor beneath his feet and forcing him to brace himself against the wall for balance. Behind him, great tongues of flame began to fill the corridor as the walls and ceiling of the hallway began to bend.

Suddenly doors were opening everywhere. One of the ones near him opened to admit Doc into the hallway with a frantic expression on his face. "Ramirez! What the hell is going on?!" He barked.

Rami stared at him for a second before replying. He couldn't tell if this man was his friend or not. "You should leave. The Aquila is all going to be ash soon." He said before pushing past Doc without another word.

"Shit, shit, shit…" Doc said as he watched the troubled youth go, and he hurried to where the flames were thickest, pulling open a door at the end of the hall. "Maria? Anna?" He called. Suddenly someone was hugging his leg, and he looked down to see a young girl of three clinging to him.

He kneeled down to take her in his arms, speaking quickly. "Maria. Where is your mother?" He asked.

Her eyes began to water as she pointed down the hallway to where fire and collapse had already ensured anyone present would be long dead by now. He shut his eyes with a shudder before pulling the girl close to him. There was no time to mourn right now. He pulled her out of her room and raced for the lifeboats just as another explosion rocked the area behind him.

* * *

Captain Dyne of the blue rogues peered out at the flaming spectacle in the distance through his telescope. "By the moons…" He swore as he turned to his helmsman. "Get us over there, now! We need to help those people!"

"Aye aye, sir." The helmsman said as he steered the Albatross towards the burning husk of the Aquila.

* * *

Piastol clutched at her bedside as something powerful rocked the ship. Moments later she heard screaming and people running in the hallway outside. She clambered to her feet, grabbing her knife belt and wrapping it tightly around her waist before heading out into the hallway herself. A passing crewmember stopped to wave frantically at her. "Piastol! We need to get out of here, the ship's on fire!"

"Go!" She snarled at him. He needed no further prompting and hurried off in the direction of the lifeboats. How had this happened? Fire didn't just break out on armada ships. This had to be deliberate. She hurried through the ship and began helping people to evacuate, one by one. She was an ordinary little girl most of the time, but her father had taught her well how to respond to a crisis.

It was around the time she was evacuating people near the upper decks when she caught sight of a shadow in the flames nearby. It stumbled forward and out of the smoke to begin shoving one of the doors open. As her eyes adjusted, she realized it was a young red-haired girl with hair like a scarecrow, and dressed all in yellow leather.

"Pirates…" She hissed. They could only be the ones responsible for this mess. "Die, scum!" She cried as she drew a knife from her belt and hurled it at the girl, aimed for her neck.

Suddenly, another figure emerged from the smoke to interpose itself between the girl and Piastol. A young boy with dark red hair grunted in pain as the knife sliced deep into his cheek while he shoved the girl out of the way, and the both of them stumbled to the ground. She could hear more people approaching from that direction. She cursed under her breath as she turned and ran. She wouldn't win a fight against a full crew.

Her heart raced as she made her way to the lower decks in search of the lifeboats. She hadn't seen her little sister, or Doc, or her father, or Ramirez since the fire started. She felt her eyes tearing up as she considered that the parts of the ship they normally inhabited had been the first to go up in flames.

There was only one lifeboat left when she got there, and it was empty. She waited thirty seconds to see if anyone else would come, but nobody did. Perhaps she was the only one left. Would she see her father again, or her sister? Would she see Ramirez again? She closed her eyes and prayed to the moons she would as she started the engine and detached the lifeboat.

The little boat's engine hummed as it pulled away from the steadily sinking Aquila, and Piastol disappeared into the morning fog of mid-ocean.

* * *

Rami's graceful silver ship sped through the skies of mid ocean, away from the wreck he'd created. Away from the peaceful life he could no longer live. Every beat of his heart hurt his chest as he drifted through the skies.

Suddenly, a large black ship came into view, with a golden serpent decal emblazoned into the side. Was that a Valuan flagship? Maybe it wasn't, but he was willing to take his chances today. He slowly lowered his ship as he approached the menacing black warship in the distance.

* * *

"Lord Galcian! Young man with silver hair has just landed his ship on the deck of the Serpent. He's currently confronting several of our men and demanding to see you." The vice captain reported.

Galcian smiled to himself. He'd been waiting for this moment. He nodded curtly to the vice captain as he spoke. "I've been expecting him. Send him straight here, to me." He said.

"Y-yes sir!" The vice captain saluted before turning and hurrying off to convey his master's orders.

Galcian strolled around to the rear of his chambers as he awaited his guest.

* * *

To his great surprise, Rami learned that he wouldn't have to kill everyone on board the black ship. "Lord Galcian has requested that you come to his chambers immediately." The vice captain reported.

"Take me there immediately, then." Rami said. The men around him parted nervously to allow him through as he followed the vice captain into the bowels of the Serpent.

It was a short ascent past the bridge of the ship to reach Galcian's chambers. "Leave." Rami spat at at the officer who'd escorted him there, and the soldier hurried to comply, leaving the young silvite alone in front of the door. He rolled his shoulders for a moment before opening it and stepping inside.

Galcian was waiting for him, eyes closed and head bowed ever so slightly. "I see you've finally come to your senses, sergeant Ramirez. I assume what's happening to the Aquila right now is your doing?"

Rami narrowed his eyes at the imposing man in front of him. "Yes, it is. Admiral Mendosa is dead." He said coldly.

Galcian laughed quietly. It was melodic but strangely unpleasant. "The strong finally broke free of the shackles of the weak. Well done." He opened his eyes and grinned at Rami. "Why have you come to see me, however?"

Suddenly, Rami's sword was in hand once more. "I wasn't initially planning on it, but since you were in the area, I decided I should kill you for revealing this painful truth to me. I was happy before you came along."

Another laugh. Galcian was enjoying himself. "Interesting. I'm not so sure you were happy. More like deluded. Still, I can see why you'd want to fight me. Will you allow me to retrieve my weapon?" He said calmly.

"It wouldn't be fun if you couldn't fight back." Rami said with a nasty grin.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Galcian replied as he turned and took a massive sword from a rack on the wall. Rami had assumed it was just for show. Did he actually wield that thing? Galcian held the gargantuan blade casually in a one-handed grip as he turned to face Rami once more. "Show me what you can do, sergeant Ramirez." Galcian challenged him.

Rami flashed forward in an instant, aiming a strike for Galcian's heart intended to end the fight in one blow. He was interrupted as pain suddenly exploded from his chest, as Galcian backhanded him away with a closed fist. Rami caught himself on the landing, avoiding stumbling only just barely. "Speed alone will not win you this battle." Galcian chided the young silvite.

"Shut up!" Rami snarled as he rushed forward again, this time not hurrying his strikes. Their blades clashed once, then twice. Each time Rami found himself shaken by the force behind the admiral's blows. He could feel the vibrations in his sword arm beginning to grow painful by the third time their swords crossed.

Rami drew on every technique he knew, looking for an opening. Strike after strike was evaded or parried, while Galcian kept sneaking in potshots or quick slices with his enormous sword. Finally, as his frustration mounted, Rami lunged forward one more time in a desperate attack, trying to take Galcian by surprise through sheer speed.

Galcian sidestepped just enough to avoid being pierced through the chest, but the blade bit cleanly into his side. He grunted in pain, and Rami felt a flash of satisfaction.

Then the flat of Galcian's blade slammed into his shoulder and sent him flying into the nearest wall with a painful impact. He crumpled to the floor clutching at his arms as they screamed with pain. Galcian's slow steps thundered in his ears as he approached. "It appears that you are outmatched, young silvite." Galcian said.

Rami felt a cold flash of fear at the man's last word. "H-how… Did you know?" He said as he turned slightly on the floor to stare up at his opponent.

"I know things few other men know, because I seek the only truth in this world." Galcian said.

Rami grit his teeth as he listened. "And what truth is that?" He asked.

Galcian slowly knelt beside the silvite boy, bracing himself against his sword with a smirk. "Power is absolute. Power is real. Power will never betray you." He intoned calmly.

Rami's head swam as he listened to the words. _Power. Power will never betray you. Power will never hurt you like people will._ "How did you become so powerful…?" Rami asked quietly.

Galcian's smirk only grew. "I will gladly teach you, Ramirez. But first, you must swear fealty to me. Power comes at a price."

Dozens of memories flashed through Rami's head. His time with Fina and the Elders. His futile search for the crystals. Teaching Piastol things, joking around with Doc and Emil, treating Mendosa like a father. All he felt was pain as he considered these experiences that had once felt like the world to him.

Rami made up his mind. "If you will show me how to control this hateful world like you do… then I will follow you to the ends of the earth."


	4. Before

The young man's eyes surveyed the town ahead of them as he slowly steered the ship up to the largest of the docks. It was one of several small trade towns that dotted mid ocean, competing with the main hub of Sailor's Island for business. Unlike Sailor's Island, however, towns like these were much less well-developed. All the buildings looked just shy of permanent, and wilderness still dominated much of the island.

He liked it better that way. Sailor's Island was too stable, too clean, too consistent. These fringe communities were where the real business in mid ocean was conducted. These were the places where he always found clients. A voice called up to him from the deck. "Aaaand, we're good!" The young man slowed the ship to a stop beside the dock, and right away the men on the deck began disembarking to secure the ship with rope.

He turned to the slightly older man standing behind him. "Ray. You've got the list of what supplies we need to pick up while we're here?" He asked.

Ray nodded at the younger man. "Aye, Captain. Shall I get the men on it?"

The young captain grinned. Ray was perhaps the only person in his crew he'd consider dependable. "Yes. And tell them if they slack off, they'll be answering to me."

"Aye aye, sir." Ray bowed his head before hurrying down the stairs to begin delegating tasks to his subordinates.

The young man, meanwhile, returned to the helm and leaned on the ledge before the windowsill, surveying the rest of his crew as they went to work. His ship, the Mastiff, looked like a pirate ship. It had been back when he'd first taken over. Now, however, they no longer flew the flag of the black pirates. Instead, they served as mercenaries.

 _Pirates for hire._ He mused to himself as he straightened up and headed downstairs himself. By the time he got to the deck there were only a few stragglers left, and they hastened to finish their work when they saw him draw near. They finished quickly under his watchful gaze, and hurried off into town soon after. He found himself left alone with one other person, the oldest and nastiest of his crew.

"Don't you have something to do, Ayden?" The captain said with a glare.

Ayden snarled at him as he took a step closer. His unkempt beard made him look like a savage, and the expression suited him perfectly. He stood a head taller than the young captain, who was already quite tall himself. "Have you found us a new job? We've been driftin' for a week."

The captain crossed his arms and shook his head. "We'll take a job when I find one that suits me. I'm tired of escorting merchants and raiding towns." He smirked as he looked away from Ayden, towards the shanty town they'd just pulled into. "I want something a little more exciting."

"You're wasting time. Gold is what keeps this tub afloat. If you aren't takin' jobs, I'll take the reins for you before you can ground us." Ayden threatened.

The young man laughed at that, shaking his head once more. "You can take the reins when you can beat me in a fight. Until then, you'll do as I say."

The older man glared daggers at his captain for several seconds, and the younger man met his glare with a calm stare. They stayed like that, poised almost to attack one another, for most of a minute before Ayden looked away. "One of these days…" He grumbled before turning to stomp off the ship.

The captain watched him go. That lug was the only one left on the crew who was still willing to openly challenge him, but even he seemed to have had his wings clipped by now. Back when they'd first met, Ayden had tried to fight him every week. Now, he was all talk and hot air.

The captain wandered into town and began looking for work. He checked the bar, the inn, and the shops, but though plenty were looking for _something_ , it was never anything new. Protect my shipment, kill this guy, scare that guy. He'd been doing that kind of repetitive work for most of a year now, and it was slowly killing him.

He ended up rambling down the trail out of town. It ran out a ways past the town limits, leaving him in relatively untamed wilderness. He knew some of the fringe towns had mining operations on their islands, but this one didn't. Most of this particular island was green and uncivilized. He strolled alone between the trees, listening to birds and insects clamor, occasionally spotting the shadow of an animal darting between trees and bushes.

It was peaceful, and for a while, it calmed him down as he simply took it all in. Dealing with other people was often tiresome and predictable, and it suffocated him at times. Getting away from it all was a small relief.

Still, soon enough he found himself growing restless again, and he almost wished he'd find a monster to fight. He was starting to get far enough from town for that to be a real possibility, and his fingers danced along the hilt of the sword at his hip as he casually surveyed his surroundings in the hopes of finding some kind of threat.

Nothing materialized to menace him, however, and a gentle breeze disturbed his dark hair as he scowled disapprovingly at the silent forest surrounding him. "Worthless…" He muttered as he trudged onwards.

Soon, a faint sound caught his ear, and as he drew nearer, he realized it was flowing water. He rounded a bend to find a small lake into which fed a tiny river coming from the north. The edge of the lake was even more lush than the rest of the woods, with a dozen different kinds of flowers lending it color.

But what caught his eye wasn't the sparkling water, or the greenery, or the flowers. He wasn't alone.

Sitting down and leaning against a tree, facing most of the way away from him, was a woman about his age. She was unlike anyone he'd ever seen before. Her outfit was shimmering white and gold, composed of a blouse and a relatively loose, but long skirt. Her hand was extended out in front of her, and he could see she was trying to attract a butterfly that was hesitantly fluttering in front of her.

But what struck him most about her was her hair. It was stark white like her clothes. It didn't look right on someone as young as her, and it immediately piqued his interest. He took a few steps closer before shouting, "Hey there, stranger."

Her head turned and her gazed snapped to his as the butterfly quickly departed. Her eyes widened, and a moment later she was on her feet, almost faster than he could see. She took a step back as her previous look of shock was replaced by one of suspicion, her eyes narrowing at him.

He raised an eyebrow as he took another step closer. "You alright?" This really _was_ getting interesting quickly, he thought to himself delightedly.

She extended her hands to either side of her, and suddenly there was a delicate silver sword in each of her hands. He blinked. Where had those come from? He didn't have a chance to say anything else before she was rushing at him. _Guess I'll find out later._ He thought to himself as he drew his sword in a flash.

He ducked her first two swings, then aimed a slash at her leg through her skirt. She was out of the way before his sword was halfway there. He produced a dagger from his sleeve and quickly aimed it at her chest. Though he saw a flicker of surprise on her face, she dodged that too with plenty of time to spare. _Damn, but she's fast._ He observed as he pressed the offensive.

She kept dodging swing after swing like it was nothing, but every time she swung back at him, it was practically sluggish. Her only quick attacks were the ones aimed at his legs or his arms. She was trying to disarm or disable him, not kill him. He groaned inwardly. Someone this capable shouldn't be limiting themselves. It irked him like nothing else.

"You know," He said as he took a step away, giving them room to pace around one another looking for an opening, "Most girls I meet don't try to cut me up until at least a week after I meet them." He grinned at the irritation he saw on her face moments before she came at him again. This time her swings were a little faster, and he found himself just beginning to exert some effort in trying to block or dodge them. Still, it wasn't enough. She could do better than that.

He dodged a sweeping slash and ducked behind her, aiming a strike at her back that forced her to leap away. "You move amazingly well in that dress of yours. I wonder how well you'd move without it…" He said, giving her a lecherous smirk over his shoulder.

He heard her hiss in frustration as she rushed him even faster than before. He didn't have time to dodge this one, and he raised his sword to catch both of hers as they descended towards his chest. The two stayed like that, swords locked as each attempted to overpower the other.

"You are intensely annoying." She spat as she glared at him between their clashing blades.

He raised his eyebrows as he smiled at her, leaning a little harder into the contest and pushing her back a step. "Ah! She speaks! I was almost beginning to think you didn't have a voice."

He felt her railing back against the pressure he exerted. She really was getting mad now. "If you are truly this unpleasant, I cannot fathom how you have survived to this age."

"Don't worry." He said. "I'm only like this when I'm bored." He explained with a wink in her direction.

She growled and leapt away from him, letting his sword fall back to his side as he watched her seethe a few feet away. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, they were distant and cold. He noted that they were silvery-white, just like the rest of her.

When she came at him this time, it was almost too fast to see. Her swings were a blur, and he found himself being pushed back as he struggled to avoid them. One cut after another bit into his arms, legs and chest.

He smiled to himself. This was strength. This was control, and mastery, and beauty. Time seemed to slow down as he watched one of her swords arc towards his neck. _This is a good way to die._ He reflected as he watched it draw closer, while his body reacted too sluggishly to stop her.

The blow never came. He felt a pressure settle into the side of his neck, but that was it. As he glanced downwards, he saw that she'd stopped her swing just as it met his throat. He sighed wearily as he eyed her. The distance was gone from her eyes. "Are you seriously not going to kill me?" He asked.

She gave him a wary look. "Not yet." She said, keeping her sword where it was.

"C'mon. It's not hard." He said, dropping his dagger and reaching up with the newly-free hand to try nudging her sword harder against his throat. "You just have to flick your wrist. Easy." He said, grinning at her. He could see in her expression that she wasn't willing to do it, and he was ready when she irritably flicked her sword towards his approaching hand.

"What kind of idiot gives his would-be killer tips on how to do it?" She said incredulously.

"I just don't want you to disappoint me." He said, taking a step back in the moment that her sword was away from his neck and raising his own blade defensively in front of him. "But I guess you're already determined to do that."

She gave him a confused look as she held her sword in a similarly defensive position, though she lowered the point menacingly towards him a moment later. "You know what I can do now. I suggest that you leave, and forget that you saw me."

He sighed again as he took another step back. At least he'd gotten a half-decent fight out of her, even if she'd proven disappointingly weak in the end. He grinned at her as he shrugged. "I'd be more than happy to forget this." He said.

She looked skeptical, but slowly lowered her sword to match the other one already at her side. "Then go."

He had to admit that he was a little curious about this strange woman, but for now, he wouldn't push his luck. He had a feeling he'd be seeing her again sometime soon. "Going." He said as he turned and began to leave, back the way he'd come.

"Wait." She said, and he had to wipe the smile off his face as he turned to look at her over his shoulder once more.

"What is it?" He asked. She kicked his dagger across the grass in his direction. It settled a few feet away from him, and he bent over to pick it up, hiding it in the concealed sheathe in his sleeve with a nod. "Thanks." He said with another wink.

She gave him an unamused look. Before he could turn away, she spoke once more. "What is your name?" She asked.

"What's yours?" He shot back.

She shook her head. "You lost the fight. You cannot demand things of me."

He chuckled to himself. She had attitude, at least. "Alright." He said as he turned most of the way away from her, twirling his sword once before sheathing it. "My name is Galcian." He said. He could see her processing that for the moment he watched her before he turned away and headed back into town.

He'd be seeing her again, alright. He wondered when it would be.

* * *

A week passed, and the Mastiff continued to drift. Galcian still hadn't found a job he wanted to take, and it was irritating Ayden more and more every day. The old sailor had been hounding him nonstop, and the younger man was seriously considering just tossing him overboard one of these days.

Still, they were going to need work sooner or later. Even Galcian could see that, and he found himself up late that evening as he leaned against the wall of the ship's main cabin, pondering where he'd go from here. In light of their dwindling fuel supplies, they'd opted to dock at an uninhabited island for the night, and he had the ship to himself as the rest of his crew opted to sleep on land.

He stared up at the stars as he thought to himself. He could settle for another boring job, but what was the point of that? He didn't need gold. Unlike the rest of his crew, he just wanted something to entertain him.

Maybe it was time to ditch the Mastiff. The crew was bothering him more and more lately. He'd been with them too long. He'd been in this line of work too long. It was killing him slowly, and he shivered as he considered just how comfortable he'd been getting with it all.

He was just considering sleeping on it when a light up above caught his eye. At first he thought it was a star, but it was moving. A comet? No, it was getting larger. As it drew nearer, he realized it was a small ship - even smaller than the kinds of personal ships he'd usually term "small." This one was practically lifeboat sized.

Except it wasn't a lifeboat. It was all polished silver, with a long, fin-like structure extending from the bottom. It drifted lazily downwards from above until it was level with his own ship, revealing the passenger standing in its tiny cockpit.

He blinked as he recognized her stark white hair and curious clothes. "Well, I'll be damned." He said with a knowing grin. "Welcome back."

The woman from the island closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, leaning on the railing surrounding her tiny ship's helm. "Hello, Galcian." She said, visibly trying to maintain her calm.

"What brings you back to me? Have you been following me in that little tub of yours?" He said, gesturing vaguely at her sleek silver ship. He hadn't really known why he thought he'd see her again. It felt like the two of them had unfinished business. He still didn't know anything about her, really. It excited him.

"I need to know some things about this world." She explained, opening her eyes to give him a flat glare as she did so.

He pushed off the wall and strolled over to the railing of his own ship to be face to face with her. "Well, you came to the right person. Nobody knows Arcadia better than I do." He said confidently as he matched her stare. "But information comes with a price."

She crossed her arms as she took a step back, evidently not pleased to be so close to him, even with the space between their ships dividing them. "You want to know about me." She guessed.

"Bingo." Galcian said, his grin persisting. "Think you can handle that?"

She looked away from him, and for a moment he could see her lost in thought. It was an oddly captivating expression on her, and it took him a moment to shake himself from staring when she responded. "I will tell you what I can."

"And I, in turn, will do the same." He said, bowing his head towards her. "It's only fair." He wiped the smile off his face as he forced himself to be a little bit more businesslike for now. "What do you need to know?"

"Ancient history." She explained. "Rumors. Stories. Folklore."

He tilted his head to one side as he listened. "What exactly are you looking for?" He asked. "That's a pretty broad scope of topics, lady."

She seemed to consider her words for another moment before she said, "What do you know about 'moon crystals'?"

He scratched his chin for a moment. He almost wished he had a beard for moments like these. "I've heard a couple stories about 'em. The most prominent ones are about one in Valua, and another in the Nasr desert." He said.

Her eyes practically lit up at his words, and she was suddenly leaning towards him again, as if to close the gap between their ships. "What have you heard?" She asked.

Was this what excitement looked like on her? He wondered. "Well, they say the one in Valua's irretrievable. It's supposedly under a massive, ancient seal in the southeastern part of the continent. Nobody's been able to get through it in centuries." He explained.

"The one in Nasr is a bit of a conundrum, too. It's supposed to be in a place called the Temple of Pyrynn, but it's been lost for ages. Most people think it's in the eastern desert, where the sandstorms are worst and where you wouldn't be able to just see it. A couple of traders report finding it, but they couldn't lead others back to it when they tried." He reported.

"I see…" She said, turning away from him as she seemed to lose herself in thought again.

"My turn." He said, waving a hand at her to try to bring her back from whatever she was thinking about. "Why do you want these crystals?"

Her shoulders stiffened as she heard the question, and she didn't look at him as she replied, "Who says I want them?"

He smiled as he set his arms on the railing of the Mastiff. "It's written all over your body language. I doubt you're a historian, so you must be looking to actually get the things for yourself. I want to know why."

He couldn't tell for sure, but he got the sense she was impressed. It made him feel a little proud of himself as she turned to face him again. "Alright… I admit, I am looking for the moon crystals. It's part of the mission I've been sent on by my superiors." She said.

He frowned. "That's a bit vague. What are you going to _do_ with them? I've heard they're pretty powerful." He said. "Don't leave me hanging. I want the interesting details."

She sighed, and her eyes flickered away from his though she continued to face him. "In short, the moon crystals can be used to summon ancient super weapons called Gigas."

He blinked as he felt his smile returning. "And you're planning to summon these Gigas? Are you going to take over the world, or something?" He asked.

She shook her head fiercely. "No. I will do no such thing. I am taking them to prevent this from happening." She said.

Galcian stared at her for a long moment. He couldn't tell if she was lying. It was an odd thing to realize, considering most people couldn't slip a lie past him if they tried. This girl got more interesting by the moment. "I see." He said. "That's a little disappointing."

A frown creased her features as she stared back at him. "You are disappointed that I do not wish to bring weapons of mass destruction into the world?"

He shrugged as he turned away from her. "Well, yeah. The world is full of opportunities for great people to do great things. Some are good and some are bad, but all of them are _impactful_." He looked towards the quiet island where his crew was sleeping, unaware of anything around them. "Every time one of those people refuses to do one of those great things, the world just keeps on being boring and quiet. It stagnates, and it dies."

"Yours sounds like a chaotic and destructive philosophy, if ever I've heard one." She said disapprovingly from behind him. He heard a thud and a creak of wood, and when he turned around she was standing on the deck of the Mastiff a few feet away from him.

He eyed her up and down. She really was wearing the same thing she'd had on back when they'd first met. Maybe it was her only outfit. It certainly suited her. "Maybe. But it's kept me alive." He said without his usual trace of amusement.

She turned and began to walk around the deck, looking over the ship one piece at a time. "Is this where you live, then?"

He watched her go. She moved like the fighter he now knew she was. "Yes, it is. I've been running the Mastiff for about a year now." He said.

"And you share it with those other men, the ones on the island." She continued.

He glanced towards the island in question once more. "Yes, I do. Every damn day." He grumbled.

She turned her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are they not your friends? You've traveled with them for a year now."

Galcian laughed to himself at that. "I don't think I'd call them friends. You don't make a lot of friends in this line of work." He locked his eyes on her. They still had a bargain in play. "Your turn."

She looked at him with surprise on her face again, before what might've been a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lip. "I suppose it is."

"Where are you from? Who are your friends?" He asked, standing in the middle of the deck and turning to follow her as she continued to survey his ship in detail. "And while we're at it, what's your name?"

She was quiet for several seconds as she stared up the main mast at the flag flapping distantly in the wind. It was covered with the face of the dog the ship was named after. "It would be very difficult to explain where I am from. Suffice to say that it's somewhere no one in Arcadia has ever been before, other than myself."

He blinked in confusion at her explanation, but said nothing as she continued. "I have no friends, or at least nobody I would consider a friend. The only people I've known before now are my teachers." She strolled to the edge of the ship, leaning on the railing he had been before as she stared at her own, curious ship. "And lastly, my name is Lila."

"Lila, huh?" He said as he ended up staring at her ship too. A strange-looking girl with a strange-sounding past, who was better than anyone he'd met with a sword. And she was looking for the moon crystals, which he'd often assumed were just myths. Still… "Not a bad name." He remarked.

That faint smile was back as she turned towards him again. "It is one of few things I can be grateful for." She bowed her head to him before leaping back to her ship with almost supernatural agility. "Thank you for your help, Galcian." She said. It had a note of finality that made him uncomfortable.

"Wait." He said as he hurried to the railing again. "You're going after the moon crystals now, right?"

She gave him a curious look as she leaned over the controls. "Yes, I am. That should be obvious." She shook her head as she turned her attention back to them, her fingers beginning to dance over an odd-looking set of buttons.

"Then let me help you find them." He said. He wasn't sure why he felt so desperate now.

Her fingers stopped moving. She didn't look at him, but she'd gotten that distant expression again, from back when they'd first fought. "I do not think that would be wise."

"Who cares?" He said. "It'll be fun. And as I said before, nobody knows Arcadia better than me. I can find those crystals for you, Lila."

She turned to look at him again. Her expression told him conflict was raging just beneath the surface, but he couldn't pick out the individual emotions. "I have little to repay you with." She said.

Galcian frowned. She had a point. She couldn't possibly have much in that little ship of hers. "We'll think of something. We're bound to run across something I can sell if we end up going places nobody's been to in centuries." He said as he came across his solution.

She was silent for the longest moment yet, and he wondered if she'd refuse him anyway. He really hoped she wouldn't. Finally, she sighed and shrugged. "I suppose it is the best way for me to approach this task." She admitted. "I will accept your aid, Galcian."

As soon as he heard those words, the young man felt himself returning to normal. His usual grin returned as he nodded. "Good. I'll inform the crew in the morning, and we'll set out right after."

She gave him a searching look, but he thought he could see a little bit of hope underneath it. "Then I will make preparations."

* * *

"Captain, this is idiotic. We're not gonna find the temple, we're just gonna get ourselves lost in the sandstorm and eaten by one of those big beasties that lives under the dunes." Ayden was in his usual mood as he listed off complaints to the young man standing at the helm.

Galcian rolled his eyes as he guided the Mastiff through the skies above the vast Nasr desert, towards the tumultuous eastern wastelands. "You always have so little faith in me, Ayden." The young man said, turning to the older man with an exaggerated pout. "You wound me."

Ayden scowled. "That girl can't pay us for shit, and if we do get outta the sandstorm alive, we'll be broke and nearly out of fuel to boot."

"The only reason you _have_ fuel is because of the reserves I donated." Lila said as she climbed the last step to the bridge. "Honestly, why do you tolerate this oaf, Galcian?" She said irritably.

"You little…" Ayden began as he glared at her.

"He's good for carrying things, and sometimes I use him to scare children." Galcian said with a grin as he looked back at her over his shoulder.

She looked Ayden over again as the older man continued to glare at her. "Such insubordination really should not be acceptable."

"You heard the girl, Ayden. One more peep and I'll have to strand you in the desert." Galcian said as he spun the wheel a bit before stopping it a few degrees to the north.

Ayden opened his mouth to protest, then shut it a moment later. He let out a huff before storming down the stairs, leaving Galcian and Lila alone on the bridge.

"Thanks for that." Galcian said as he stared out at the approaching storm.

"Did I do something?" She said. He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

He brushed it off. "We're about to enter the easternmost desert. Is your ship secure?" He asked as he turned towards her again.

Lila nodded seriously. "It's lashed to the side about as securely as your men can manage." She reported.

"Good. Can't have that thing getting lost in the storm." He said as he turned to the helm again, this time focusing on the navigation instruments embedded beside the wheel. "Hand me the map on the table there, would you?" He said, gesturing to the lone table in the room with one hand as the swirling sands began to block out his view of the sky.

She said nothing as she retrieved it, and a moment later the furled up parchment was in his hand. He wordlessly unrolled it, revealing a basic map of the terrain in the area. There were several spots that were clearly guesswork, but it'd be enough to go on. "Alright then." He said as he consulted the compass once more before turning the ship again.

Lila leaned against the bulkhead as she watched him work. "What are you doing?" She asked.

By now, the windows were covered in sand and visibility was nearing nonexistent. He found himself looking at the map and the compass more and more. "I've taken what I think are the most reliable eyewitness accounts about the location of the temple, and started comparing them to the most recent maps. If I navigate with the compass, I think maybe we can check each spot."

"Not a bad idea." She said, glancing at the windows. "How will we know when we've gotten there without any way to see it, though?" She asked.

Galcian smirked at her. "I've got the guys I like the least out on deck keeping an eye out. They'll call if they see anything."

"You're a very cruel captain." Lila observed.

"Cruel gets results." He replied.

The Mastiff scoured the wastelands for an hour without finding anything as Galcian checked location by location. He was beginning to think he'd have to throw in the towel when a shout from the deck roused him. It was almost drowned out by the noise of the wind. "Spotted something, starboard side!" One of the men reported.

"Well, shit." Galcian said with surprise as he turned the ship starboard and kept on in that direction. Lila quickly donned a pair of goggles from the table and hurried downstairs. A minute later she came back, pulling a white scarf down from her mouth.

"You've found it." She said.

The ship made an uneasy descent through the sand-clouded skies to the dunes below, and Galcian briefly lost his footing as the deck lurched to one side when the ship settled slightly in the sand. Thankfully, it didn't tip over or move any further, and he moved to the table to grab his own pair of goggles as he grinned at Lila. "Let me see it."

They stepped out onto the deck together, both of their mouths and eyes covered as they stared out over the railing. It was a bit difficult to see in the constant sandstorm, but it was clearly pyramid-shaped, with what looked like four large pillars arranged in a square in front of it. It was a few hundred feet away - an easy trek if they were careful.

He looked to Lila, who was still staring at the temple. He couldn't tell what she was thinking with her face covered like this. "How many people will you need?" He asked.

She turned to look at him. "Just me. I'll be fine by myself." She said.

Galcian rolled his eyes behind his goggles. "You don't have to take the crew, but I'm going too whether you like it or not."

She tilted her head to one side skeptically. "You really shouldn't. It's full of traps. I've studied ancient machinery and weaponry, so I can see it coming, but it might catch you by surprise."

"Don't underestimate me!" Galcian snapped, hopping over the side of the ship before she could object any further. He landed on the sand with a small grunt before straightening up. "Ray!" He called.

Someone appeared, leaning over the edge of the railing. "Yeah, captain?" Ray's voice replied.

"Two survival kits!" Galcian shouted back.

"Aye, captain!" Ray said, disappearing again. Lila hopped over the edge and landed beside Galcian a moment later.

"You're very reckless." She said. "I'm beginning to think you never consider your actions before taking them."

"That's how I keep things interesting." Galcian said, grinning behind the mask covering his mouth.

A moment later, two bags thudded into the sand in front of them. "Two kits, captain." Ray reported from his spot over the railing.

"Thanks, Ray. Try to keep the ship intact while I'm away." Galcian said, before grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"What are these?" Lila said as she took the other one in a similar fashion.

"Supplies. Food, water, tools. They're useful for when you're gonna be away from the ship for awhile." Galcian explained. "Let's go." He said as he began trudging through the sand in the direction of the temple.

Lila frowned after him before moving to follow him.

* * *

The sandstorm was clearing, Galcian realized as he drew near to the steps leading up onto the main terrace around which the four pillars were arranged. As he climbed the steps, he looked back and realized that no, it wasn't clearing.

The sandstorm was simply surrounding the temple on all sides, leaving the temple itself conspicuously untouched. "So the sandstorms out here are a defense mechanism?" He said incredulously, looking back at Lila as she climbed the steps a few paces behind him.

The white-haired girl shrugged. "I can't say for certain. It's possible they just shielded the temple from the storm, but at the same time it's very odd that this region is always covered in storms." She removed her goggles as the last of the sand swirling around them cleared. "Call it a mystery of the ancients." She said as she tugged the scarf away from her mouth.

"The ancients were crazy." Galcian muttered as he shook his head. There was a small dais in the center of the terrace, and the two of them ended up standing in front of it as the dark-haired man went to inspect it. "What's this?" He asked.

She set a hand on the dais, tracing her finger around the triangular indentation in the center. "This is where the moon crystal would be placed in order to summon the red Gigas." She said quietly.

Galcian blinked as he pulled off his own goggles, looking around the terrace. "Huh. So, where is it? This Gigas thing must be pretty big if it's a superweapon." He said.

Lila was wearing that tiny smile when he looked back at her again. "You're standing on top of it."

He gave her a confused look before staring at his feet, then slowly turning his attention to the large pillars. He realized they had faces carved in them. The pieces started coming together. "Ah. Clever. Hiding it in plain sight." He mused.

"It's hardly in plain sight when it's wrapped in a massive sandstorm." She said with an amused tone to her voice as she moved away from the dais. "Come. We need to enter the temple."

Galcian stared at the stone head of the Gigas for several moments more before moving to follow her. They had to climb a massive set of stairs to reach the temple proper, and the two ascended in silence. Both of them, despite their fitness, were out of breath when they reached the top. "I guess the ancients had legs of steel…" He joked as he caught his breath.

"This was not a place many people would have visited. Everything is a deterrent, to keep people away." She explained, evidently not amused. Before them, a doorway stood open to another staircase descending into the temple.

"Sounds like my kind of place." Galcian said. "Let's go." He waved Lila along as he headed for the door.

She grabbed his hand, stopping him from heading inside. He turned to give her a quizzical look, and her expression was deadly serious as she stared at him. "Do not rush. This is a dangerous place. The things inside will kill you in a heartbeat if you do not treat them with care."

Galcian chuckled. "Why are you so worried about me?" He teased her, before tugging his hand away. "If you want to lead the way and set the pace, you can."

Lila frowned at him, but didn't object any further as she stepped past him and through the doorway into the temple. When nothing untoward happened, she waved to him. "Alright, follow me, then." She said.

The two descended into the temple. It was dark, and eerily quiet. Galcian could tell that few things ever came here. "Wish I'd brought a light…" He said irritably.

"Hush." She said from a few feet ahead of him, feeling her way along the walls wherever the light from the scattered torches was too dim. Galcian scowled at her, but didn't say anything else, settling for wondering what magic was keeping the torches lit all the time. If they weren't embedded in the walls, he'd have considered taking one as a souvenir.

He heard a click, and suddenly her hand was on his chest, pressing him against the wall. "Stop!" She hissed. A moment later, he could hear metallic clinking as several dozen somethings struck the wall just ahead of them.

They waited until all was quiet, and then Lila's hand pulled away. Galcian stepped forward and knelt down in front of the wall, picking up several fragmented arrows, which had likely broken when they struck the wall. _Well, that's one way to kill an intruder._ He noted as he stood and began to follow Lila further along.

They kept narrowly evading traps as they delved further into the temple. Lila always seemed to anticipate them before he did, and though he wouldn't admit it aloud, Galcian was starting to feel frustratingly unnecessary. Would she have handled this just fine without him? He sighed and bit back a desire to complain as they followed another dimly-lit hallway until Lila stopped him again.

He hadn't heard a click this time, and no obvious traps appeared before them. He looked over her shoulder and blinked at the sight before him.

At the end of the hallway, about two dozen feet ahead of them, he could see lava pouring into a pit in the middle of a wide-open room. The temple was already fairly hot, but he realized it was even hotter here, still a ways away from the lava. "I don't think we can go that way." Galcian stated the obvious.

"I don't suppose so, but… how do we move forward?" Lila said with a frustrated tone to her voice as she stared at the room ahead.

"Not sure…" Galcian mumbled as he looked around the hallway they were in. It looked like just about every other they'd been in - cramped and dark, all made out of tightly-packed brick.

Except - he noticed there was an odd-looking mark on the wall a few feet behind them. As he moved closer, he realized it was in the shape of the Gigas's face. "Hey, Lila. Check this out." He said as he waved to her.

She stepped closer, and he moved aside to let her get a better look at it. "This looks like decoration, but it doesn't have a counterpart on the opposite wall. It also doesn't fit the style of the rest of the area…" She said contemplatively.

Galcian moved to lean against one of the walls nearby while she worked, but blinked in surprise as he felt it give a bit. He pulled away and stared at it. He'd felt it move, hadn't he? He glanced at Lila, who was still staring at the odd picture, before turning back to the wall. He reached out and set his hands against it before pushing.

It took most of his weight, but it slowly moved backwards. It had been cut to fit in seamlessly with the surrounding walls, but when he'd pushed it back enough, he realized it had hidden another passage from view. Lila's attention had been caught by the noise of his moving it, and as he stopped, she peered into the new passageway. "Ta-da." He said, a little breathless once more from the exertion.

"Good work." She said as she stepped into the newly-uncovered hallway. "I believe this will let us bypass the lava."

As Galcian moved to follow her, he wasn't sure if he should be proud of himself. He'd found this passage entirely by accident, after all. Still, at least he wasn't totally useless anymore. That was enough to put a bit more of a spring in his step as he hurried after Lila.

The two of them soon realized that there were no traps down this way. Galcian wondered if this area was meant for those ancients who were actually meant to be coming and going from the temple. It certainly felt different from the rest of the place.

Eventually, the hallways opened up to a much larger area, through which a series of suspended walkways led from place to place. They had no railings, and the drop to the floor below was a long one. "Take it slow…" Lila said as she led the way out onto the first walkway. Galcian followed her, measuring each step and watching her he walked. Lila, meanwhile, seemed to be focused on looking around for potential traps.

That meant that she didn't see the weak spot in the floor before she stepped on it, and she let out a cry as the stone beneath her left foot crumbled away. She began to lose her balance and fall.

Galcian rushed forward and caught her hand, nearly losing his own balance as he struggled to haul her back onto the walkway. Though they teetered dangerously for a moment, he managed eventually to stop moving. "Are you okay?" He said with strain in his voice.

"Y-yes…" She replied, one foot dangling while the other was set on the edge of the walkway.

"You're going to have to haul yourself the rest of the way up." He said.

Lila took a breath before setting her dangling foot against the stone and grabbing the floor in front of her, using the leverage to pull herself up and over the edge. Galcian helped pull her the rest of the way, until at last she settled back on the floor.

They both caught their breath for a minute before she looked up at him. "Thank you." She said, getting onto her knees from the lying position she'd assumed when she'd gotten back up.

Galcian nodded as he sat before her. "Yeah. I guess traps aren't the only thing to worry about in a place as old as this." He said.

Lila stared down over the edge at the abyss she'd nearly fallen into, nodding slowly. Then she got unsteadily to her feet. "Let's keep going."

She really was determined to get this job done, he reflected as he rose to his feet as well. "Right behind you."

With both of them watching the floor ahead of them now, they managed to avoid any further incidents. As they passed through another doorway, they found themselves descending a very long staircase. Eventually, they reached what looked like a dead end, but a glowing red panel embedded in the wall immediately caught both their attentions.

Lila set a hand on the panel, and it glowed faintly as the wall in front of them slid aside. The two of them moved forward and into a spacious room that ended in what looked in an altar. On top of the altar sat what looked at first like a radiant red light.

Lila sprinted off towards it without another word, and Galcian shouted after her, "Be wary of traps!", fully aware she wasn't listening at this point. Thankfully, nothing emerged to kill her, and he sighed as he followed her a moment later.

When he got there, Lila was holding a red crystal in her hands, shaped like a triangular pyramid. It shined with a brightness more intense than any moon stone he'd ever seen, and he could faintly see intricate geometric patterns carved into the translucent surface of the crystal. "I'm guessing that's our red moon crystal?" He said with a grin.

Lila said nothing as she cradled it in her hands, staring at the radiant red light that shined forth from within the crystal. It was warm, but not hot like the red moon stones usually found around Nasr. He wondered why as he stared first at the crystal, then at her. "Hello? Lila?" He said.

She continued to say nothing, and, frustrated, he leaned forward and prodded her shoulder with two fingers. "Wake up." He said.

She suddenly looked at him with wide eyes, and he realized she was breathing unsteadily. He watched as her fingers began to shake, before the shaking slowly spread to the rest of her. Eventually, the crystal fell from her hands to clink against the floor.

Galcian stared back at her. "Lila? What in the moons is wrong with you?" He said, kneeling down to grab the crystal.

She swatted his hands away from it. "Don't touch it!" She snapped, and when he looked back at her, she was wearing an expression he'd never seen before. It looked… rabid. Furious, afraid, disturbed. She didn't look like the distant, always-composed girl he'd come to know in the last few days.

"What is going on?" Galcian said as he stood up and glared at her. "You said you wanted to get the moon crystals. You've got your crystal. Let's take it and get out of here." He raised his hands with an exasperated expression. "What are you freaking out about?"

One of her silvery swords was suddenly in her hand, and she levelled it at him as she took a step away. "Don't… don't question me." She said. She looked away from him.

Something was broken in this girl, Galcian realized. All of her distance and calm were an act, or a shield to protect her. She was deathly afraid of something, and he began to suspect he knew what it was. "Do you not want to complete this mission of yours, Lila?" He asked.

She flinched, ever so slightly. "Don't presume to know anything about me."

Galcian looked back and forth between Lila and the moon crystal. She was unsteady, and he already knew how to summon the Gigas. He briefly considered killing her and taking the crystal.

Then he realized that wouldn't be the more interesting choice. He knew what would happen if he decided to take the Gigas as his own. What he didn't know was Lila. And, he realized, that was what he really wanted to know.

He slowly, deliberately, knelt down and took the crystal in his hands. She turned her head to look at him again, glaring at him. "I told you not to touch it." She growled.

He raised one hand in a placating gesture as he stepped back to the altar. "Easy, now. I'm just putting it back." He said, and with that he set the crystal back where it had been a minute before. "It's obvious you don't want it." He said, turning away from her as he did so. His back was exposed to her. This would be the moment where he'd find out whether Lila was a killer, or something more interesting.

Nothing happened for several moments, and Galcian looked back over his shoulder at her. She'd lowered her sword and was staring at the floor. "Lila?" He said quietly.

"I'm sorry…" She said, and it was so soft that he almost didn't hear it. Her long white hair veiled her face, but he could see teardrops falling past it to land on the cold stone floor.

Galcian scratched his head uncomfortably as he watched her. He really didn't have much experience dealing with this kind of thing. Sometimes, though, that was where the best moments came from. He took a step closer to her. "What are you sorry about?" He asked.

Her shoulders shook. The sword vanished from her hand. "I can't do what you sent me to do…" She said, her voice still difficult to hear.

He frowned. He hadn't sent her to do anything. "Are you talking to your bosses? Because I'm pretty sure they're not here."

Lila slowly raised her head, wiping tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "No, they're not. But they will be very disappointed to find that I have failed."

Galcian glanced towards the altar. "I mean, you haven't really failed. The crystal is right here. What's stopping you from taking it?" He asked.

She stared at the crystal, and he shivered as he realized there was absolutely no life in her eyes at that moment. "The cost." She said.

"The cost?" He said quizzically. She didn't answer him. She just kept staring for a minute more, before turning to him. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again there was desperation in them.

"I know it's a lot to ask, Galcian, but… Can we just leave? I don't want the crystal anymore." She said. She looked like a scared little girl, just barely constraining her fright.

Galcian frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't say he wasn't a little disappointed - this girl never seemed to follow through when he expected her to - but he also couldn't deny that he was interested in hearing the full story. "Fine. We'll leave the crystal behind, but you better tell me everything about the situation, and soon." He said.

That faint smile appeared again, and she nodded. He wondered if that was the happiest she could get. "I will. I promise." She said.

Galcian sighed. "Lead the way, then." He said, and she hurried back into the hallway they'd come from before. He looked back at the crystal for a long moment. He doubted he'd have time, but maybe someday he'd come back for it. Then he turned and followed Lila back the way they'd come.

* * *

It took considerably less time for them to get out of the temple than it did for them to enter, now that the traps had all been activated. They passed the time in silence, hurried by Lila's quick pace through the dark corridors. Galcian's legs were burning by the time they exited out onto the landing at the top of the massive staircase.

"There… we're out." He said, breathing heavily. "You sure were in a rush to get out of there." He noted as he watched her. She wasn't out of breath, and it made him upset. It took a conscious effort to bite back a snappy remark when she didn't reply. "What are you looking at?" He asked as she stared into the distance.

"Your ship is gone." Lila said, gesturing to where the shadow of the Mastiff had been before. Now it was an indistinguishable patch of storm.

"What the hell?" Galcian growled as he rushed forward to the top step, looking around. Maybe they were circling the area. Or maybe they were in trouble. But as his search turned up nothing, he began to come to different conclusions.

"Have they abandoned us?" Lila said quietly, and the searching expression in her eyes only compounded his frustration.

"Ayden…" Galcian snarled, just picturing the way that boisterous oaf would've turned the crew in his favor. _The captain's gone, dragged us into this sandstorm and left us behind. Let's get outta here._ Ayden's imagined voice rang in his head. "Of all the times to screw me, he picks now… That stupid bastard!" He shouted, making his throat hoarse.

"Galcian?" Lila's voice rang with concern.

He turned to her, glaring daggers. "He's screwed us, Lila. He stole my ship, and my crew, and I bet he just feels so proud of himself for putting one over on me. When I find him, I'm going to cut him open, I swear to…" His ranting was cut off as coughed, once, then twice. "I should've tossed him overboard months ago, I should've…" The coughing interrupted him again, and this time he turned away from the white-haired girl who continued to watch him worriedly.

Galcian clutched a hand to his chest as he was wracked with coughing and wheezing. _Not now, dammit, not now…_ He thought to himself, but his body was unconcerned with his interests, and he felt his legs getting unsteady as it became difficult to breathe. Pain flared in his chest, and his vision started to waver.

Then a hand was pressed against his back, and from it he could feel an odd warmth radiating out into his skin. The pain that had been building began to subside, and slowly he managed to stop coughing and steady his breathing. From behind him, he heard Lila chant, "Moons, purify this man's body."

"W-what are you doing?" Galcian asked her.

"Healing you." She explained. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" She asked.

"About what?" He said evasively.

"You're sick. Dying." She said calmly, and the warmth on his back flared briefly.

"It's none of your business." Galcian snapped, but he started to regret the words as soon as her hand pulled away. Though the coughing didn't come back, the warmth faded, and his lungs already felt a little heavier.

"I believe it is my business if I am to keep my end of our agreement." Lila said. Galcian stared at her. She was back in her shell again, all calm and serene. But he'd seen what was underneath it. He wasn't going to let her stay in it for long.

"What, telling me about yourself?" Galcian shook his head. "I'm a little more concerned with the fact that we're stranded out here, right now."

Lila frowned at him, before turning to look out at the sandstorm swirling around the temple. "We could walk."

He looked at her incredulously. "Through the desert? Are you crazy? We'll die of thirst before we get anywhere."

Lila's little smile returned as she hefted the bag on her back. "We've got supplies. And I don't think we have any other options at the moment."

Galcian glanced at the sandstorm too, before turning back to his white-haired companion. "I mean, there's always dying." He said. She gave him a confused look, and he sighed as she seemed to miss his humor as always. "Okay. You have a point. Let's get out of here." He relented as he shouldered his pack, pulled his goggles back on and covered his face once more.

Lila did the same, and together they set out into the storm. It quickly became difficult to see or navigate, and after a minute they could barely see one another. As Galcian continued to forge onwards, he suddenly felt a set of fingers poking at his, and glancing back he saw Lila was trying to grab his hand. "What are you doing?" He asked. His voice was nearly drowned out by the wind.

"So we don't get separated." She replied, taking his hand without waiting for his reply.

Galcian eyed her for a moment before shrugging and continuing, walking side by side with her as they persisted in traveling one direction. Sooner or later, they had to break out of the wastelands.

The space between them was quiet as they walked, and soon the intensity of the storm began to decline. Galcian squinted as he saw sunlight starting to filter through the dense clouds of sand. "We're almost out, I think." He reported. Lila nodded at him from behind her scarf and goggles, and together they hurried onwards.

They both breathed a sigh of relief as the winds continued to abate, until eventually they found themselves in open desert, with the sun beating down on them. Almost immediately Galcian pulled off his goggles and mask. "It's so hot…" He said with a groan.

Lila followed suit a moment later, staring out at the horizon. "We need to find a settlement." She said, turning to him. "Do you know where the nearest one is?"

Galcian rubbed at his forehead as he thought. "Uhm… assuming we're at the western edge of the sandstorm, the closest one should be a couple miles southwest of here." He said.

"That's a long hike." Lila replied, looking concerned.

"That's what I was thinking. But, as you said… we don't really have a choice, do we?" He said as he gestured vaguely southwest. "Come on. Let's get moving, and maybe we'll get there before it gets really dark."

He took another step before realizing that she was still holding his hand. When he tried to tug it away, she held it tighter. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh, Lila?"

She looked away from him. "What?"

"We're out of the sandstorm. You can let go now." He said.

"We might get separated." She said quietly.

He blinked. "How? You can see for miles out here. I doubt you'll lose me now that we're out of the storm."

She was quiet for a beat before she let go of his hand. "Fine." She said. "Lead the way." She muttered with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Galcian stared at her. She was getting stranger by the second. This girl was a bundle of contradictions. Now was not the time to stand around and wonder about that, however, and he turned around with a shrug. "On it." He said, before starting to head southwest. Lila quickly caught up to him and began to walk alongside him.

They traveled across the dunes for an hour, and the sun began to wear on them both. Galcian was sweating through his clothes, and he could only guess that Lila was too. She confirmed this when she slowed down, forcing him to turn to look at her as she spoke. "Can we take a break…?" She said.

"I think I'd like that." He admitted as he sat down in the sand, grabbing the bag off his back and opening it to retrieve a canteen. He quickly opened it and took several swallows of the water inside before setting it aside.

Lila did the same as she sat down beside him. "I thought I had a lot of stamina, but I'm already flagging…" She said wistfully.

"Everything takes more energy when you're overheating. I'm feeling it too." He said as he squinted out at the dunes. It was getting a little harder to see where they were going. Were they even still heading towards the town?

"I see." She said in a remarkably matter-of-fact tone for the situation they were in. They were quiet for several seconds before she spoke again. "I never really imagined I'd end up in a situation like this." She said.

He gave her a look. "I don't think anyone anticipates getting stranded in a desert. That's one of those things a lot of people go out of their way to avoid."

She shook her head. "I get that. I'm not quite talking about it that way. It's more like…" She stared at her hands, before bringing them close together. "Up until recently, my world was very small." She said. "Even when I started exploring Arcadia, it only felt a little bigger." She slowly widened the space between her hands as she spoke.

"But now, walking through it like this, and especially after having met some of the people who live here, I feel like I'm really getting a true appreciation for the size." She spread her arms out wide as she finished, before leaning back and bracing herself on her palms behind her. "The sky looks so much larger when you can't fly through it."

Galcian looked up. The afternoon sky was very blue, but the distance was beginning to be tinged with purple as the evening neared. "What kind of world must you have been living in before this?" He asked. "Sounds hellish to me."

Her expression had gone distant again when he looked back at her. "In some ways, it was. But now isn't the time to explain things, I don't think." She said softly.

"I guess not." He admitted, before fixing her with another pointed stare. "But don't think you're getting out of an explanation."

"Of course not." She said as the familiarity returned to her eyes.

Galcian slowly began to rise to his feet. "C'mon, we should probably-" He cut himself short as a distant sound caught his ear. It sounded like an old engine, the kind typically found on some of the smaller trading ships. As he looked up, he caught sight of just such a ship a short ways above them.

Lila had apparently followed his gaze, and she quickly stood up beside him. "A ship?" She said.

"Yeah. We need to get his attention, quickly." He replied, and he quickly hurried off in its direction, waving his arms and shouting. Lila hastened to follow him, and eventually began shouting herself.

Slowly the ship turned around towards them and began to descend towards the desert. Galcian breathed a sigh of relief as he watched it near. Lila caught up to him a moment later and watched it with him. "Does this mean we're getting out of here?" She asked.

"Hopefully." He said.

* * *

They ended up in Maramba as the sun set. The captain of the little trading vessel stood alongside them on the docks. "I'm still very curious about what you kids were doin' way out in the middle of the desert." He said with a bright smile at the two.

"It's a very long story…" Galcian said, rubbing tiredly at the back of his neck.

"Surely you can at least give me a summary. I just saved the two of you didn't I?" The merchant wagged his finger at Galcian. "Don't be ungrateful."

Lila quickly took the man's attention as she stepped up beside Galcian. "It's fairly simple, really. My bodyguard is just very close-mouthed." She bowed her head to the merchant as she continued. "I'm an archaeologist, and I was searching for the Temple of Pyrynn over in the wastes. He accompanies me everywhere, so he came along for the ride."

The merchant crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. "But what were you doing out there without a ship?"

It was Galcian's turn to interject. "It was stolen. Pirates, you know?" He said, making a point of looking irritable. It wasn't hard when he thought about Ayden.

That seemed to allay the man's suspicions, and he scowled. "I know what you mean. I swear, they get bolder every year." He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I'm glad I could give you two a helping hand. Be careful if you decide to go out in the desert again. It's a dangerous place out there."

"Yeah." Galcian said.

"Thank you." Lila said as she bowed her head to him. With that, the merchant departed into the town, leaving the two of them alone on the docks. She turned to Galcian with a confused expression. "Now what do we do?"

Galcian glanced out over the ships nearby. "Well, for now, we're stranded. We should stay the night in Maramba and figure out what to do next."

"Will we be staying at an… inn?" She said, as if searching her memory for the word.

He gave her a slightly quizzical look before nodding. "Yeah. Probably. If we can afford it." He said.

"I don't believe that will be a problem." She said, reaching into the pockets concealed in her blouse and producing several small, glittering moon stones.

Galcian's jaw dropped. "You've been keeping quiet about those this whole time?" He asked, baffled.

"I barely knew any of the crew of your ship. I had to keep something for emergencies." She said.

"Whoever sent you was ridiculously prepared…" Galcian mused, before shaking his head. "Whatever, let's get a room."

It only took a portion of Lila's stash to get them a night at the inn, and as soon as they stepped inside, Galcian hurried over to his bed and sat down on the edge, leaning back a moment later. "Ugh… what a long day." He said with a weary sigh.

He heard the door shut, and a moment later Lila was standing over him, giving him a curious look. He gave her a flat look in return. "What?" He asked.

"You shouldn't sleep yet. We still have things to discuss." She said, still staring at him.

He closed his eyes as he groaned. "I wasn't planning to sleep, I just…" He sighed again and shook his head before hauling himself up into a sitting position once more. "Okay. Okay, let's talk about this." He said, gesturing for her to sit on the other bed facing him.

She did so after a moment's hesitation. "So… where should we start?" She asked. She looked nervous.

 _With sleep._ Galcian pushed away that thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. So you need to tell me everything about your past, because it's setting off all kinds of alarms in my head. Can you do that?" He asked.

She flinched, and clasped her hands together in her lap, staring down at them. She fidgeted several times on her bedside before replying. "Do I really have to?" She said, her voice unusually meek and distinctly sad.

He hated to admit it, but it hurt him to hear that voice. "Look, it's obviously troubling you. The way you reacted with the crystal tells me something was very wrong with the way your bosses treated you. I can't be of any help to you if I don't know what they did."

She stared at her hands for a minute without saying anything. Then, in an even quieter voice than before, she said, "I'm not sure you can help me, Galcian…"

He leaned forward as her words sent a flash of anger through him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm all you've got right now, in case you didn't notice."

She flinched again, but didn't pull away. She didn't seem angry, just sad. "I know. And I'm very grateful that I have at least that…" She said, "But I don't know if anyone can help me." She lifted her head and smiled at him, but there wasn't any happiness in it. It made him start to doubt he'd ever seen her happy. "It's not your fault, you know?"

He felt all the anger and all the energy drain out of him at once, and he slumped forward as he stared at the floor. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He finally said.

Suddenly her hand was on his shoulder, radiating the same warmth as before. He shivered. "Healing me again?" He said tiredly.

"It's the least I can do to thank you for the things you've done for me." She said softly. He felt her hair brush against his cheek.

He could vaguely see her kneeling in front of him in his peripheral vision. "I haven't done anything for you, Lila…" He protested weakly.

She didn't try to argue it. She just stayed there with her warm hand pressed against his shoulder, sending that curious magic through him. "When did you first get sick?" She asked.

Normally, the memory was painful, or angry, but right now it was neither of those things. It didn't make him feel anything at this moment. "I was fifteen, living in upper city Valua. The doctors said there was nothing they could do for me. My parents wanted to keep me indoors and shelter me. I didn't want that, so I ran away and started doing my own thing. Trying to live life as much as I could before it caught up to me, you know?" He said.

"It must've been hard." She said, sympathy in her voice.

"It was. But I lived a lot in just a few years." He said with a faint smile.

"You're going to live a lot more." She added.

He shivered again. "Can you really heal me completely? That seems like, like… fiction." He said. It just didn't make sense to him.

"I'm a master of silver magic. I can heal you." She said with certainty in her voice. "It will take time, but I can heal you." Eventually the warmth faded, and her hand withdrew.

"All out of juice?" He said, lifting his head for the first time in awhile. Her face was inches from his. It was the first time he'd really gotten a good, long look at it, and he made a point of memorizing every curve.

She smiled that little smile again. "For tonight. We'll do this every night until you're cured." She said.

Now that she was done, he felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him. His eyelids began to droop. "Sounds… good to me." He said, not able to think of much else to say.

Her hand on his shoulder pushed him back onto his bed before she disappeared back to hers. "Sleep." Her soft voice was the last thing he heard before he did just that.


	5. Shattered Glass

"Lord Galcian! Sergeant Ramirez is awake." The vice captain's voice roused Galcian from his thoughts. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his chambers on the Serpent, where he belonged.

He turned to the vice captain with a smirk. "Good. You're dismissed." He said with a wave of his hand. The vice captain saluted and left in a hurry, leaving Galcian alone with his thoughts again.

The young sergeant Ramirez had much potential as a soldier, that was for sure. But what interested Galcian most right now was the boy's origins. Ever since he'd first seen Ramirez during one of his tours of the fortress, his mind had been swirling with ideas. This would open new avenues to him that had been closed off before.

He descended from his chambers through the heart of the Serpent, past dozens of his men, each of whom saluted smartly when they saw him. He made sure each of them were paying attention as he went by. He'd learned to keep an eye on the details long ago. It was what allowed him to control others so effectively.

Eventually, he reached the crew deck. It was mostly empty with the Serpent currently patrolling mid-ocean in a token search effort after the Aquila's untimely sinking. His men had plenty of looking-busy to do while he dealt with his new guest. He stepped inside the suite he'd had set aside for that guest and shut the door behind him.

Sergeant Ramirez was sitting on the bedside, staring at the floor. He didn't look up when the door shut. "What happens next?" The silvite asked.

Galcian casually took a seat in the chair opposite the bed, eyeing the young man up and down. "That depends on how you handle the next few minutes." He replied.

Ramirez slowly raised his head to stare at his new "master". His silver eyes looked cold and dead. "What do you want?" He asked, evidently not in a talking mood.

Galcian frowned, though it only barely touched his lips. This boy was very seriously damaged, indeed. It meant he would be easy to mold, but it also meant he could easily break if mishandled. He would need to carefully consider his words and actions if he was going to get what he wanted. "Well, I was _planning_ to have a conversation with you when I first defeated you, but you rather rudely blacked out a minute after pledging fealty to me."

Ramirez narrowed his eyes at the older man. "I remember that. I don't plan on going back on it, unless you prove to be weak too."

The boy had bite, that was for sure. He'd grow out of that soon enough. "Let's get straight to the point." Galcian said, leaning forward in his seat. "You did kill Admiral Mendosa, correct? That wasn't a lie in the heat of the moment?"

Ramirez grinned humorlessly as he crossed his arms. "I ran him through, then lit his corpse on fire with the most powerful fire spell I knew." The silvite's eyes gleamed with a dangerous sort of pride. "I'm fairly certain I was the cause of his death."

"I wouldn't go boasting about that to just anyone." Galcian said with a serious note to his voice. "But I will congratulate you on ridding me of a nuisance that I'd been trying to dispose of for quite some time." The older man's frown slowly turned into another smirk. "For that, I think I can forgive you the deaths of the rest of the Valuans that were on that ship."

Ramirez was plainly unamused. "How gracious of you." He said sarcastically.

This wasn't going anywhere. Time to make a point. "Ramirez…" Galcian said, momentarily glancing away, as if to stare off into the distance. "What do you know about the rains of destruction?" He asked.

Galcian felt a flicker of satisfaction as he saw the boy flinch out of the corner of his eye. "Why?" Ramirez asked.

Galcian's eyes flicked back to the silvite, staring him down. "I want to see if your facts match up with mine."

It was Ramirez's turn to look away. "The rains of destruction occurred several hundred years ago. They wiped out the ancient civilizations of the time, almost completely." He paused for a moment before adding, "Only the silver civilization survived, and even they lost a lot of people."

Galcian leaned on the arm of his chair, feeling his smirk grow by the second. "And do you know what caused the rains of destruction?"

Ramirez blinked, then glanced back at Galcian with a raised eyebrow. "No. Nobody knows what caused them. It just sort of… happened."

Galcian shook his head. "That's just patently untrue. Such a thing could not be random. It was clearly orchestrated by someone." He tilted his head to one side as he continued to watch Ramirez, who was growing more uncomfortable by the second. "Who could that be? Who seems to have benefitted the most?"

He could see the gears turning in the young silvite's head, as preconceptions and denial began to fall away in the face of the inconsistencies before him. "I can't think of anyone who'd do something like that." He said, though his voice lacked the cold determination it had had before.

"Don't lie to yourself. The silvites did it. You know they have the technology for it and much more." Galcian said.

"You're lying!" Ramirez snarled, clutching at the bed as he tried to control himself. "The elders, they wouldn't…"

Galcian could barely contain his glee as he watched Ramirez's confidence breaking. "They made a Gigas of their own, but this one was so very different from the others. Its power was not targeted destruction, but the annihilation of entire regions at once, using the moons themselves as weapons."

"Shut up!" Ramirez snapped, looking away again.

"And then they sealed it away so nobody else could use it. They locked it up under a seal of such power that it'd take all six moon crystals to break it. Then they took to the heavens to assume their roles as the ultimate arbiters of mankind." Galcian said. "Face it, 'Ramirez'. Your precious elders have been using you just like everyone else."

Ramirez shook with silent rage for several moments more before he seemed to deflate, staring at the floor again. "How… how can you know _any_ of this? You have to be lying to me." He said flatly.

"Do you think you're the first silvite they've sent down here to be their errand boy?" Galcian said.

Ramirez's head snapped up at that, and he stared at Galcian incredulously. "What?"

Galcian bit back a chuckle before he continued. "They've been trying this shtick for generations. I met a young, hapless silvite just like yourself, a little more than twenty years ago. I guess she'd been better informed than you, though, because after awhile she broke down and told me everything."

Ramirez shook once more as he continued to stare. "What happened to her?"

Galcian's smirk faded. "She's dead, now." He said. "But her knowledge persists in me."

The young silvite finally seemed to accept the older man's words. His eyes got distant for several moments before he seemed to pull himself back. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because you can never grow strong while you continue to be deluded." Galcian said with certainty. "And I only have use for strength."

Ramirez looked at the floor again. "So I'll be your puppet, then, instead of Mendosa's or the elders'." He said bitterly.

Galcian shook his head. "Not a puppet. A puppet does not know his master or his goals. I'd liken you more to a tool."

Ramirez didn't seem particularly enthused as he raised his head a little to stare Galcian again. "A tool?"

"A very precise instrument, informed by purpose. If you serve me well, you will always know exactly what it is I want from you." Galcian smiled, and this time it was a little bit wistful. "Perhaps someday you will even grow strong enough to kill me, and take my place."

Ramirez stared at his hands. "A tool…" He said quietly. His fingers slowly curled into fists. "I'd decline, but you've left me with few places to turn to, now." He said.

"That was the intention." Galcian said with a knowing look.

"Transparency. I can respect that." Ramirez said, straightening his back as he stared at Galcian once more before nodding. "I will serve you, until the day that I can finally kill you in a fair fight."

"I look forward to seeing you try." Galcian said, his grin unwavering.

* * *

A few hours later, the Serpent docked in the Grand Fortress. "Time to make a report." Galcian had said.

Rami - or rather, Ramirez, as he now chose to think of himself - examined his new clothes as he followed Galcian to the upper deck to disembark. He'd gotten rid of his scorched and dented armor from his time as Mendosa's puppet, replaced now with a dark uniform with red accents, which was apparently standard for Galcian's officers. He wasn't sure if that meant he'd been promoted, but he was certainly grateful to be out of that damned armor.

Together they strode out onto the upper deck, and across a walkway into the hangar itself. He stepped off the walkway to discover someone waiting on them.

A woman, flanked on either side by a soldier in blue and black armor. The soldiers looked fairly ordinary, the woman stood out. She looked about as old as Galcian, with short, dark hair and pale eyes framed by glasses. What stood out the most about her, however, was her uniform. It was largely white with only a few black accents here and there. He didn't think he'd seen white on anyone but Doc since he'd first come in contact with the Armada.

Her attention was on Galcian as the two of them drew near. "Lord Galcian." She said, bowing her head slightly towards him. "I'm here to escort you to the palace. The empress is awaiting your report on the Aquila situation."

Galcian smiled slightly and nodded. "No wonder you're all dressed up, commander." He said. "Are you certain the Grand Fortress won't fall apart with you away for a few hours?"

She smiled too, ever so slightly. "I'm sure it will survive, somehow." She said, before turning to look at Ramirez. "Who is this?" She asked.

Galcian's grin grew wider. "A witness. Sergeant Ramirez, formerly of the Aquila." He said.

Ramirez stared at the woman, and she stared back. "Seems like a friendly one." She quipped. "What the hell's with his hair? Did something happen to it in the fire?" She asked, eyeing his unkempt silver hair.

"I'm not from around here." Ramirez said curtly, narrowing his eyes at her.

She narrowed her eyes right back at him. "Definitely friendly." She turned to Galcian again. "Do you really need him for this?" She said with a note of protest in her voice.

"Are you questioning my motives, commander?" Galcian said, raising an eyebrow at her.

She looked away a second later. "No, sir. Sorry, sir."

Galcian nodded. "Then let's be on our way."

She nodded back at him before turning and beginning to lead the two of them out of the hangar. Galcian waited a moment before moving to follow her and her guards, leaving space between them and himself and Ramirez. The young silvite glanced at him questioningly at the pause, matching the older man's pace once they began to walk.

"You'd do well to behave yourself while we're here." Galcian said.

Ramirez scowled as he watched the woman ahead of them. "She rubs me the wrong way. Who is she?" He said.

Galcian's smirk was back. "Commander Dulcinea. She runs the entire Grand Fortress. You'd do well to avoid mouthing off at her."

Ramirez's scowl only grew deeper. "I'll try my best."

The five of them ended up on a railcar a few minutes later, zipping through the slopes above upper city towards the palace. Dulcinea sat across from Galcian towards the front of the car, talking to the older man about something, while Ramirez ended up sitting across from the commander's two guards.

"So. You survived the fire?" One of them said. Ramirez couldn't look the man in the eyes through his helmet.

He tried to anyways. "Yes." He said simply.

"You're a weird lookin' one. Where are you from?" The other one asked.

Ramirez sighed and closed his eyes. "That's none of your concern."

"He definitely fits in with Galcian's crew." The first guard said, his head turning in the direction of his fellow.

The second guard nodded. "I heard Mendosa was crooked. Sounds like he finally got what was comin' to him."

The first guard leaned closer to Ramirez. "I heard that too. You got any news on that front, pretty boy?"

Ramirez grit his teeth as he schooled his frustration back and away from his thoughts. "I'm sure you'll find out everything when Galcian makes his report." He opened his eyes and narrowed them at the two talkative guards. "Until then, you'd be doing me a favor if you'd both shut up."

The two guards were silent for a moment, before the second turned to the first. "Yep. Definitely Galcian's crew."

* * *

"I can't believe it. Mendosa's really dead." Alfonso said, staring miserably across the grand hall as he stood in his position to one side of the large doors leading to the throne room.

"You've been talking about that nonstop. Was he really that important to you?" Belleza said, glancing across the carpet at him from her position on the other side of the door.

Alfonso looked genuinely hurt as he turned to stare at her. "Important?! He was like an uncle to me! His family was very close to mine, you see…" He said. Anger flickered across his face a moment later. "I can't believe I missed him during his last visit. Maybe I could've done something…" He trailed off without finishing his thought.

Belleza eyed the young man skeptically. He looked hurt, but Alfonso tended to make a big deal out of everything. It was hard to take him seriously sometimes. "Well, I'm sorry for your loss." She said.

"Thank you." He said simply, turning away from her.

A moment later, prince Enrique approached after entering the hall from one of the side doors. He glanced first at Alfonso, then at Belleza. "Lord Galcian will be here soon. Try to be on your best behavior."

Belleza tried to disguise the shiver that ran through her at Galcian's name, but she could tell Enrique saw it by the change in his expression. He leaned a little closer to her when Alfonso wasn't looking. "See me after the report is made, okay?" He whispered.

"Right…" She whispered back, doing her best not to avoid his eyes. She set her hand on the door and pushed it open for him. "Go ahead, my prince." She said in her normal voice as she bowed her head.

He nodded at her before passing through, leaving her alone with Alfonso again. "This is the worst part of being in the royal guard." The young man said with a sigh.

Belleza eyed him again. "What, guarding?"

Alfonso nodded. "Yes. I'd much rather be overseeing others. Honestly, the 'guarding' part of our job is so ceremonial it may as well be pointless. We're really more like royal attendants, aren't we?" He said.

His observations felt uncomfortably accurate, and Belleza didn't say anything back to him as she stared ahead, trying to focus on potential threats.

Fortunately, she didn't have long to be alone with her thoughts. The doors on the other side of the room soon opened to admit a woman in a white uniform, flanked by two guards, and she was soon after followed by the familiar figure of Lord Galcian. She realized, too, as the woman approached, that this was also a familiar face.

"Commander Dulcinea." She greeted the woman in white. "I didn't recognize you in formal garb." She said with a small smile.

Dulcinea's eyebrows rose as she took in the sight of the redheaded vice-captain. "Belleza. It's been a long time. I'm glad to see you're doing well for yourself." She said, returning the smile before gesturing to the doors. "If you would?"

Belleza's eyes flickered to Galcian for a moment. He wasn't looking at anyone, evidently focused on the space right ahead of him. Her eyes were drawn to the man at his side, who she realized was staring at her. His silver hair and piercing eyes made her uncomfortable, and she quickly looked away from him, too, as she nodded. "Of course, commander."

She and Alfonso leaned on the doors to open them both, and Dulcinea nodded gratefully before leading her entourage through. Once all five of the guests had entered, Alfonso and Belleza stepped inside as well, shutting the doors behind them before assuming their previous posts, albeit now in the throne room instead of the hall.

It was a luxurious room decorated with marble and gold, and most of the rest of the royal guard was already assembled in the full measure of their violet armor to either side of the aisle. Dulcinea, her guards, and the silver-haired man broke off from Galcian's side, moving to stand near Belleza and Alfonso in the back of the room as Galcian alone sought an audience with the empress.

She briefly locked eyes with Enrique, who stood near the throne with his mother. Then she turned her attention to the empress.

Empress Teodora I was what Belleza would consider quintessential nobility. And to her, that was an unflattering description. Her hair was exquisite and pompous; her robes were exquisite and pompous; and her face was wrinkled from too much time spent glaring at people. Still, Teodora stood as though she were in control of everyone in the room as she watched Galcian approach - and to be fair, she was.

"Lord Galcian. Welcome back to the capital. I trust your report on the situation will be a satisfying one?" She said.

Galcian bowed his head slowly. "Yes, empress. I will endeavor not to waste your time."

"Good, good. What happened?" Teodora demanded.

Galcian raised his head and nodded. "Early this morning, the Aquila caught fire while departing into mid ocean. We believe approximately one third of the crew was lost, and another third remains unaccounted for. Admiral Mendosa is among those confirmed dead."

Silence rang in the throne room as Galcian briefly paused. Those who watched him carefully could see a flicker of a smile on his face as he continued. "But my most interesting find is one which likely never would have come out had the good admiral not died."

Teodora gave him an impatient look. "Out with it!"

Galcian bowed his head again, this time apologetically. "Of course, empress. You see, I've begun to receive reports from some of the men that admiral Mendosa had been cheating the empire during his time spent in Ixa'taka."

Teodora looked aghast. "And you can confirm this?"

Galcian nodded. "I can." He turned and waved subtly to the silver-haired young man in the back of the room. "Ramirez?"

Belleza watched as he strode past her and down the aisle. His expression hadn't changed since he'd got there. It chilled her a little to watch his measured steps as he made his way towards the throne to stand by Galcian's side.

"Who is this?" Teodora asked, frowning at the young silvite before her.

"He is sergeant Ramirez, and he is the one who uncovered the details of Mendosa's wrongdoing." Galcian explained.

Ramirez nodded. "Mendosa was tasked with ensuring all moon stones mined in Ixa'taka would be delivered directly to Valua. However, he was frequently working the Ixa'takans overtime, and keeping the resulting excess for himself, likely to sell on the black market."

Galcian smirked as he briefly glanced towards Ramirez. "This would also explain why the late admiral never reported a surplus from the mines. We all thought he was simply being fair to the Ixa'takans, but he was really swindling us all."

"That… that insolent swine!" Teodora hissed, visibly shaking with anger. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd have him drawn and quartered!" She snapped.

"Mother, you shouldn't get so worked up. You'll hurt yourself." Enrique cautioned her from nearby.

She whirled on him. "Don't tell me what to do in my own throne room, Enrique!" She scolded him. He quickly withdrew with a meek nod, before she turned her attention back to Galcian, evidently having found her composure again. "Lord Galcian."

Galcian looked at her expectantly. "Yes, empress?"

She smiled at him, though it didn't look good on her. "You have done well in service to me, and to Valua. As thanks to you for bringing these treasonous acts to light, I am promoting you to Lord Admiral of the Valuan armada. You will oversee the expansion of the new armada."

Galcian bowed his head once more. "You honor me, empress."

"Your suggestions to me in the past have always proven favorable. I will consider this no different." She said. "Assemble for me an armada that no force in the world can oppose."

"I will do as you ask, empress." Galcian said, barely keeping another smirk off his face.

* * *

"Did the empress just do what I think she just did?" Dulcinea said as the lot of them exited the throne room. Belleza and Alfonso watched as they shut the doors behind them.

"Indeed she did." Galcian said, a self-satisfied smile evident on his face.

Dulcinea shook her head. "You may as well be in control of the entire armed forces." She said. "Congratulations, Galcian." A smile crept across her lips as she added, "Or should I say, Lord Admiral?"

"Just 'Galcian' will do for you, thanks." He said.

A moment later, the doors opened again to admit prince Enrique, looking frustrated. He quickly put on a smile as he caught sight of Galcian standing in the hall. "Congratulations on the promotion, Lord Admiral. I'm sure you'll do wonders for the empire." He said.

Galcian had evidently caught the prince's mood, if the fading of his smile was any indication, but he made no mention of it is a he nodded. "I will do my best for your sake as well, young prince."

Enrique maintained his polite smile for another moment before turning to Belleza. "Can we speak in private?" He said.

She blinked, then nodded at him, and he quickly took her hand and led her out of the room and into one of the waiting rooms off to the side. "What is it?" She asked him.

Enrique crossed his arms, grimacing as he looked away from her. "I was afraid this would happen. Galcian's in control of the military now."

Belleza frowned at her prince. "What's so bad about that?"

Enrique looked briefly shocked at her reply, before running a hand nervously through his hair. "Haven't you seen him? He's manipulating my mother. He's manipulating everyone. He'd probably been sitting on that information about Mendosa for months, waiting for the right time to make his move."

Belleza stared at him for a long moment before frowning. "Maybe your mother needs to be manipulated."

Enrique's jaw dropped. "What are you saying?!"

She wasn't entirely sure herself. "Your mother wants another war with Nasr, and you and I both know it. We don't know where Galcian stands, though. But we do know that he has quite a bit more self-control than Teodora does."

Enrique put his face in his hands. "You really think Galcian's armada will create a world at peace?"

"Who's to say it won't?" Belleza snapped at him. Why was he so hung up on Galcian?

"Belleza, please…" He said in a long-suffering tone.

"Please, what?" She said, irritably. She wasn't sure why she was so upset. Maybe it was seeing the empress make a fool of herself again. Maybe it was Alfonso's observations on the guard. Or maybe she was feeling a little condescended to.

"We need to do something about this." He said. "Will you help me?" He asked her, pleadingly.

She felt her anger fade slightly at the desperation in his tone, but it was still hard for her to sympathize with what he was asking. "I'll have to think about it, Enrique."

He sighed wearily. "That's all I ask."

Belleza felt herself deflating further as she calmed down, but before she could say something else, someone else spoke up behind her.

"Ah, so here's where you two went."

Belleza turned around to find commander Dulcinea standing in the doorway behind them, leaning on it and smiling at the two of them. "Commander…" Belleza greeted her somewhat sheepishly. She wasn't sure how much the older woman had heard.

"Actually…" Dulcinea said, her smile growing, "It's Admiral now."

Both Belleza and Enrique's eyes widened. "You're taking over Mendosa's position?" Enrique asked.

"Well, yes and no." the newly-minted admiral said as she pushed off the wall and walked into the room proper. "I'm the third admiral right now, alongside Galcian and Gregorio. But we're not dividing the fleets between offense, defense and expeditionary forces anymore. Galcian's expanding the armada to be a bit more… diverse." She said.

Enrique frowned. "Are you going to be recruiting new admirals, then?" He suggested.

Dulcinea winked at him. "You always were a sharp one, prince Enrique." She nodded slowly. "We're going to be building a lot more ships, and with that we're going to need more leadership."

"Who are your candidates?" Belleza asked, staring at her old superior curiously.

"To be honest, while we've got a lot of people high up in the ranks who'd be plenty suited to conventional leadership positions, Galcian's not looking for conventional. That means most of the current top brass is out." The admiral's smile was turning mischievous as she spoke, and it sent a little shiver down Belleza's spine as she realized the older woman was watching her quite intently.

"Who are you looking at, then?" Belleza asked.

"I'm looking at you, vice-captain Belleza." Dulcinea responded. "You were a rising star back at the Grand Fortress. But you're not like most of my men. You've got different ideas than most about how to get things done."

Belleza froze as her suspicions, as fur-flung as they'd seemed, were confirmed. "You want _me?_ To be an _admiral?_ " she asked, dumbfounded.

Dulcinea laughed at the shock on the girl's face. "Don't be so surprised. You're a natural at these kinds of things." Her amusement faded slightly as she continued. "But you wouldn't be an admiral right away. I'm going to be looking at several candidates and testing each of them personally. I'll be training those who I think are capable, and then we'll see where things shake out."

Enrique and Belleza were both silent for several moments before the young prince spoke up. "That's… quite an offer." He turned to the redheaded soldier beside him. "Belleza?"

It took her a moment to register her own name. "I, uhm…" She smiled nervously at the admiral. "I'll have to think about it."

Dulcinea nodded respectfully. "Of course. It's a big decision. But don't think too long, okay? I gotta get started on this training thing pretty soon, you know?" She said.

Belleza sighed. "I understand."

"Well then," The older woman said, "You two have a nice evening." She gave the both of them a knowing look as she stepped out.

Belleza was left alone with Enrique again. He watched Dulcinea leave before turning to Belleza. "Are you going to go through with it?"

The redhead stared at where the admiral had been. "I don't know."

"You probably shouldn't do it."

Belleza blinked, then turned to look at him. "Why not?"

"It'll pull you away from here, back to the Grand Fortress… the little life we've started building here will go away. Plus, you'll be stuck with Galcian." Enrique said, looking miserable as he made the last observation.

Belleza blinked again as she processed that. The life she'd been building with Enrique. Happy, but with the threat of discovery every day. And Galcian… She shivered slightly. "It'd be a chance to make a difference, though."

"But you can make a difference here." Enrique protested.

"Can I?" She asked. "Because in all my time here I've only seen the empress grow more and more bloodthirsty." She smiled wistfully as she reached out and stroked Enrique's cheek in a gesture she'd grown so fond of. "She won't even listen to her own son."

He set his hand on hers, frowning. "Belleza…" He said quietly.

"But she'll listen to Galcian." Belleza said just as quietly.

Enrique closed his eyes, as if in pain. "Belleza, don't."

She looked away from him and slowly withdrew her hand. "I think this is another one of those decisions that's already been made for me."

Enrique opened his eyes and shook his head seriously. "It's not. You can stay here."

"And just what will I achieve if I do that?" She said, still not meeting his eyes.

"You'll be with me." Enrique replied, taking a step closer.

Her heart fluttered. She wanted that very much. Enrique had made her life considerably brighter in her time at the palace. But then an image came to her from her memories - her mother wracked with tears as soldiers marched through the streets at the end of the war. Her first night out on the streets after that.

"I'm sorry, Enrique… But that's not enough." She admitted, breaking her own heart in the process.

Enrique was silent for a minute. "You're sure about that?" He asked.

She nodded. "I am."

He smiled at her. It hurt her to see it - it was the same smile he'd worn back when they'd first split up in lower city, almost four years ago. "Then I guess this is goodbye again, Belleza."

* * *

Piastol's eyes fluttered open to the sight of a butterfly hovering curiously in her face. She jerked back, and it flew away at once. She rubbed her forehead to nurse an oncoming headache as she looked around. She was still in the lifeboat, but evidently she'd landed on an island at some point. She didn't know when she'd lost consciousness.

She was surrounded by greenery, mostly trees and bushes. She wasn't sure if that boded well for her. Plenty of islands in mid-ocean were still uninhabited, but many that were still had stretches of woodland here and there. She let out a groan as she sat up properly and hauled herself out of the lifeboat.

It looked like it was in bad shape. As she inspected the little craft, she could tell it wasn't going to be of much use to her, considering the rough landing she'd apparently gone through. She sighed and looked up at the blue sky above, silently thanking whatever moon was watching over her that she hadn't plummeted into deep sky.

Then she started walking. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know where she was. But she knew she wouldn't find out if she stayed and sulked by the lifeboat. Various parts of her ached as she walked, and she wondered how many scratches she had that she didn't know about yet.

Eventually, she wandered into a small clearing around a smaller lake. It was apparently fed by a river coming from the north, but it was nearly dry in the warm weather. Still, the shore of the lake was circled with colorful flowers, and it made her smile just a little to see it. At least wherever she was didn't look like a place where she'd starve.

She walked over to a lone tree standing near the lake and sat down, leaning against the trunk. Her legs were aching more than the rest of her, and she didn't want them failing on her when they were all she had. The little butterfly she'd seen before came back into view, evidently still interested in her despite the fright it had endured earlier.

She watched it flutter around in front of her for a few moments, before it seemed to lose interest and flew away. She watched it go with another sigh. It was starting to hit her now.

She was alone. Really and truly alone. She didn't know what had happened to anyone else from the Aquila. Not her father, not her mother, not Maria or Doc. Not Ramirez, either. She hadn't seen any of them during her escape, only random soldiers or crew members who she only barely knew. While she was glad that she'd been able to help some of them it didn't do anything for her current situation.

She felt her breath getting a little shaky, and she had to blink back tears as she wondered if she'd ever see any of them again. It didn't work for long, and soon they began to spill over her cheeks. She buried her face against her knees as she cried out her sorrow, her worries and her frustration.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that. But eventually, she was roused from her tears by a voice. "Hey, are you okay?"

She flinched, then stood up as quickly as she could, her hand going to the handle of one of her knives around her waist. The young boy who'd spoken had a look of shock on his face as he got a good look at her. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The boy raised his hands in a placating gesture, smiling despite the fear evident on his features. "I-I don't mean any harm, miss. I was just looking around here and saw you and wondered if you needed any help…" His smile faded a little as he eyed her. "It looked like you were cryin', yanno?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked about her age, maybe slightly older, with brown hair cut short. He didn't seem armed - he was dressed like most average kids her age would be, with a simple shirt and shorts. She felt herself relax slightly as she realized he probably wasn't out to get her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She said, frowning.

His smile returned. "That's okay! But, uh, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around town. I think I'd have noticed a dress like that." He said, gesturing to her clothes.

She looked down at herself. Her outfit, though muddied and torn now, was still quite obviously out of the norm for most mid ocean islands. Her frown persisted as she looked up at him. "The ship I was sailing on sank. I escaped in a lifeboat, and crashed here." She kicked idly at the dirt under her feet as she continued, "I don't really know where I am…"

The kid's eyes widened. "Woah! I think I heard about a ship sinking near here, actually. You should come to town with me, I'm pretty sure the people there can take care of you. Maybe they can help you find your shipmates?" He said hopefully.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she evaluated him once more, carefully. She still wasn't sure she could trust him. Still, she was armed, and likely better trained than just about anyone she'd stumble across on a random mid ocean island. This boy, at least, seemed harmless enough. "Okay. You can take me there?"

"Sure can!" He said, taking a few steps closer. "My name's Daniel, by the way. What's yours?"

"Piastol." She said, smiling just a little at the earnest enthusiasm in his voice.

"That's a cool name!" Daniel said with a grin, before waving her along to start following him. "Let's go. We're not far from the town limits."

Piastol gave the little clearing one last look before moving to follow him.

* * *

It was indeed a short walk to town, Piastol reflected as they passed through a small gate that marked the city limits. She couldn't read the sign that was affixed above it - the letters were too worn and dirty for her to parse. It made her wary as they followed a short path down towards some buildings that looked to be made from a mix of lumber and smooth stone.

"It's not exactly a pretty place, but, well, it's home." Daniel said as he led her further into town. The buildings began to close in around them as they made their way down streets paved with cut logs and cobblestone.

Piastol's frown deepened as she looked around them. The streets were mostly empty and not terribly well-lit. "Is this one of those shanty towns?" She asked.

"It's not nice to call them that, little girl." An gruff older voice said. Piastol flinched as a large man stepped out from between two buildings near them. Fortunately, he didn't produce any weapons, but Daniel stopped in front of him anyways.

"Oh, hey Jacque." Daniel said, his smile faltering slightly.

"Hey, Danny. Who's this? Looks rich." The older man said, leering at Piastol's dress.

"Oh, she's…" Daniel began, looking at her uncomfortably.

Piastol stared the man down as she took a step closer. "I'm Piastol, daughter of admiral Mendosa of the Valuan armada. And I don't appreciate the way you're looking at me."

Jacque's eyes widened as he took in that information, before a toothy grin spread across his face. "Well now, ain't that a surprise. I'd heard the old admiral's ship had gone down, but I didn't know he had a daughter." The man's eyes flicked to Daniel. "Where are you takin' her?"

"Just… to the inn, you know?" Daniel said, his smile still distinctly uncomfortable. "She needs help."

"Aren't you the good little boy." Jacque observed. "Why don't you run along then?" He said, giving Piastol one last look.

"C'mon, Piastol. Let's… let's go." Daniel said, grabbing her hand and hurrying off.

Piastol flinched as he grabbed her, but didn't pull it away until they'd gotten out of sight of the unpleasant older man. "Is everyone here like that?" She asked, rubbing at her fingers unconsciously.

Daniel frowned as he looked back towards where Jacque had been. "Not… everyone." He said, laughing weakly, before turning back the way they'd been going. "Okay, let's keep going. We're almost there."

She stared at Daniel's back as he hurried off in front of her. This was all very strange, she thought as she moved to catch up to him.

Soon enough, they arrived at what Daniel identified as the inn. It looked like most of the other buildings in town. Maybe slightly larger. "We should be able to get help just inside!" Daniel said, ushering her in with him.

The door shut behind them, and Piastol immediately realized it was uncomfortably dim inside. There were lanterns and candles here and there, but they were interspersed too infrequently, leaving long shadows throughout the main room they eventually came to. "What's this?" Another older man's voice came to her from a table nearby.

As the man stood up, she realized he was quite tall. His scruffy black beard hid most of his face as he strode over to her. "This is Piastol, the daughter of admiral Mendosa. The ship that just went down a little north of here?" Daniel said, his voice a little shaky.

The older man slowly knelt down in front of her. He was still a head taller than her like that. "My, but she's a pretty one. Looks like the old man really cared for you, didn't he?" He said with a smirk.

His breath smelled of loqua. Piastol wrinkled her nose as she turned her face away slightly. "What's it to you?"

The man snatched her wrist. His grip was uncomfortably tight. "I bet there's quite a few people who'd pay to have you back safe." He said, his grin growing wider. Around the room, she heard people rising to their feet as chairs were pushed back from tables.

"W-wait, Roy… Sh-she's…" Daniel began.

Piastol's vision flashed red. _Pirates. Filthy, no good, murdering pirates._ In a flash, she had a knife out of her belt. The pirate - Roy, she supposed - evidently hadn't seen she was armed in the low light. He didn't have a chance to react before she'd plunged the blade into his neck. His grip slackened as he let out a sputtering cough, before stumbling back.

She briefly caught sight of Daniel gawking at her before she turned to face the rest of the men coming near her. "What the hell?! She got Roy!"

"Kill this little rat!" Another one snarled.

Piastol felt everything slow down as her training kicked in. She normally carried ten knives. She'd lost one back on the Aquila, and another was now lodged in the throat of the man formerly known as Roy. That left her with eight. She grinned, her white teeth gleaming in the low light of the inn. That would be more than enough.

She dodged to one side as the lead man swung a scimitar at her. Another caught sight of where she'd gone to and turned towards her a second later. She drew another knife and flicked it at him. He let out a pained gasp as it struck him in the chest, before stumbling back and out of the way of his fellows.

Piastol ducked under another, poorly-aimed swing before driving a knife into this man's leg. He let out a cry as he clutched at it, and a quick kick to the injury took him off his feet. She dashed forward between two more and tossed another knife at one of them. It caught him in the throat, and he fell where he'd stood.

Three men down, one injured, and what looked like two to go. Still five knives left. The remaining two looked cagey as she hurried to the other side of the room. She saw the injured one slowly hauling himself to his feet. "Worthless little…" He spat as he glared daggers at her.

"Corner her! Hit her from both sides!" One of the other two shouted.

Piastol sighed as she watched them lumber towards her. Ramirez had been right. Everyone really was too slow. She flicked another knife at the one to the left. He tried to dodge it, but it caught him in the shoulder, and he didn't have time to react as another blade sailed into his chest to take him down.

The other one was most of the way to her when a knife came tumbling at him. He sidestepped it, grinning at his momentary victory before Piastol was suddenly upon him, leaping at him to drive a second knife into his belly. He let out a pained sound before collapsing in front of her.

That left the injured one. One knife, one man. She twirled the last blade between her fingers as she stared across the poorly-lit inn at him.

He stopped in his tracks. He shook once, then turned and fled for the door.

She hurled the last knife, then hissed as it went wide and struck the wall beside him. He got out the door and out of sight, his voice fading as the door shut behind him.

Piastol sighed and went to work collecting her knives. She'd gathered about half of them before she realized Daniel was still there, cowering in one of the corners and watching her with wide eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him before heading his way.

He practically curled up into a ball as she approached. "W-what the hell are you?" He asked.

She pointed one of her knives at him. One of the pirates' blood dripped off it to the floor at her feet as she did so. "Do you work for them?" She asked, her voice cold.

"N-no! They came into town one day and t-took my parents hostage. They'll only let them live as long as I bring them valuable things…" He stammered.

She glared at the boy. "So you _do_ work for them."

"Not voluntarily!" He shouted, raising his hands in a pleading gesture.

She turned away from him to look at the dead pirates scattered around the room. "Was this all of them?" She asked.

Daniel was shaking his head when she turned back to him. "No… there's a-a few more scattered around town. L-like Jacque…"

Piastol glanced at her knife. Maybe this was why she'd spent all that time learning to use them. She felt herself starting to smile as she sheathed it in the belt around her waist. "Guess I've still got work to do, then." She said as she turned towards the door.

"S-seriously, what the hell _are_ you…?" Daniel muttered as he watched her go. "Y-you're like the angel of death…"

Piastol turned to smile sweetly at him as she reached for the door. "That's right, Daniel. That's what I am." She opened the door and caught sight of the last pirate from the inn talking to Jacque just outside. "The angel of death."

* * *

It took a long time, but Doc eventually managed to land his lifeboat safely on a small island. Though he was tired by now, he made sure not to crash it. He'd need it to get anywhere else - he just desperately needed a rest right now.

The little lifeboat's engine clicked as he shut it off, before turning to the little toddler clinging to his leg. "It's okay, Maria. We've stopped. You can let go now."

"N-nuh-uh!" She shouted from below him.

Doc sighed wearily before scooping the little girl up into his arms and striding over to one of the seats in the back of the lifeboat. He sat down with a little grunt before looking her over. "Are you hurt?"

She pouted for several seconds before looking away from him without saying anything. Her eyes were red from crying. He wondered if she'd run out of tears to shed.

"Maria, I can't help you if you won't tell me anything…" He said. She still said nothing, and when he gently set her down on the floor of the lifeboat, she curled up into a little ball.

Doc sighed and set his head in his hands. He didn't know where anyone else from the Aquila had ended up, or how many people had survived. All he knew was that he needed to keep Maria safe for now. "Maria, I'm going to search the area for food, okay? Can you stay put while I do that?" He said, eyeing her.

She still said nothing, and didn't even move in response to his question. He grimaced as he considered that what was really hurting her right now was probably something he'd never really be able to heal. "Okay. I'll stay close." He said, before stepping out of the lifeboat and looking around. There were a few trees in his immediate area. He'd just have to hope they bore fruit.

Luckily, he found one that bore… something fairly quickly. The fruit was green with a leathery rind. He picked one off the tree and stared at it. He was a good doctor, but he didn't know much about plants. For all he knew, this one could be poisonous.

Then his stomach rumbled. He'd been flying for hours. His shoulders sagged. He'd be no good to Maria if he made a mistake because he couldn't think straight. He raised the fruit to his mouth and took a bite.

It tasted tart and faintly sweet. He waited several minutes, but didn't feel any different. Then he took another bite, and another. He glanced back over his shoulder to see if Maria was still where he'd left her. She'd stayed curled up in the lifeboat. He frowned, wondering if she'd ever move a muscle.

He picked another fruit off the tree before heading back over to the boat. "Maria - I've got something for you to eat. Hungry?" He said as he offered the uneaten fruit to her.

She didn't move. "Maria, please." He said desperately. "You need to eat."

She was silent for a long moment before she raised her head and stared at the fruit. Her eyes were too distant for a girl her age. Still, eventually she reached out and took it from his hand, staring at it for a second more before biting into it with a sullen look on her face.

Doc felt a small rush of relief, and he hopped into the boat and took a seat once more as he continued eating his own fruit. The two of them ate in silence, and he passed the time by looking around, both at the island and the skies around it.

At first he'd been planning to go straight back to the Grand Fortress, but as he considered it more and more, he realized that idea didn't sound very appealing. He'd heard some bad things about Mendosa's reputation, and with the man now dead, he could only assume his secrets were now fair game for anyone looking to cash in. Valua might not be a safe haven for him anymore.

As he glanced down at Maria, silently chewing on fruit, he realized it might not be the right place for her, either. She didn't need to grow up surrounded by people who would only associate her with her father, who would remind her of the horrible tragedy that had befallen her.

"Maybe I'll become a free doctor." Doc mused aloud as he finished off his meal. "What do you think, Maria?" He said, glancing her way.

She simply stared at him. "You're going to have to talk again sooner or later, you know." He said.

She said nothing, and eventually Doc looked away uncomfortably. So that was it, then. No more Valua. He'd take care of Maria to the best of his ability, and maybe someday he'd find someone she knew to help out.

And maybe they were all dead, and he'd be the only one to take care of her. He was ready for that too, even if it depressed him to no end. "I guess you take the hand life deals you, huh?" He said with a bitter smile at the blue sky above.

Maria chewed sullenly on her fruit and continued saying nothing.

* * *

A few days later, Belleza found herself back in the Grand Fortress. She'd been led to a large, long room towards the top of the fortress, with a tall window at one end facing out onto mid ocean. It looked like the room had just been refurbished, and a long table stretched down the center of the room. There weren't any chairs around it just yet. She wondered if this was to be where the admirals of the new armada would meet.

She was not alone. To one side of her stood Alfonso - moons only knew how he'd gotten there - who'd exchanged his royal guard violets for a strapping white uniform. He gave her a flat look as he caught her staring.

To her other side stood a tall man wearing a short blue coat and black pants. His hair had been slicked forward into a point, and his arms bulged with muscle. She didn't recognize him, but when their eyes met he gave her a wink and a smile.

A minute later, the doors opened to admit admiral Dulcinea and the silver-haired young man she'd seen with Galcian back at the palace. Ramirez, she remembered he'd called himself at the time. He took a spot standing beside the tall man, while Dulcinea moved to stand in front of them all.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked them all over. "So. This is everyone who showed up?" She said.

Everyone was quiet for a moment before the tall man spoke up. "I guess only we had the guts for this." He said, sounding confident.

Dulcinea frowned at him, adjusting her spectacles as she did so. "That may be so, but don't think that serves as a qualification. We've already got an overabundance of bravado in the armada."

"Don't worry, admiral. I've got more than just bravery to offer you." The tall man said, his smirk unfailing.

Dulcinea sighed wearily. "That's quite enough, Vigoro."

Vigoro didn't say anything else, but his smile stayed plastered on his face as he continued to watch the new admiral.

She shook her head slightly as she looked away from him and began to pace in front of the four of them. "So. You're all here because you're being considered for admiralty. But I can't just hand that position out, you see. I need to make sure anyone who gets this position is up to the task." She stopped and faced them all once again. "To that end, I'm going to be testing and training the lot of you to see who makes the cut."

Everyone stared straight ahead and said nothing, though Belleza could tell Vigoro was just itching to hit on Dulcinea again. She was grateful when he remained silent and Dulcinea continued. "Well, let's get started then. Follow me, everyone." The older woman said as she stepped between Belleza and Vigoro, opening the doors and leading them all out into the hall beyond.

She led the four of them down and deeper into the fortress, until they entered another wide-open room, this one with no furniture in the center. The walls, however, were lined with benches and racks laden with equipment and weapons. Belleza recognized it - it was one of the larger training rooms used by the soldiers stationed at the Grand Fortress. She'd been here many times back in her time stationed there.

She caught Dulcinea giving her a knowing look as they filed in and took their positions once more standing before her. "I'm sure you can guess why I've taken you here." Dulcinea said.

"You're going to test our combat skills." Alfonso said with a smirk. "It's fairly obvious."

Dulcinea stared at him evenly. "That's one of the things I'll be testing, captain Alfonso. But I suppose I'll get better results if I don't explain the exercise."

"Will we be fighting you?" Vigoro asked. "I wouldn't want to hurt you." He said.

Belleza's eye twitched with irritation at the man's tone, but Dulcinea simply frowned. "I assure you, Vigoro, you won't hurt me." The older woman calmly drew the sword at her hip. "To demonstrate that, why don't you be my first opponent? Pick whatever weapon you want." She said.

Vigoro blinked. "What, no armor? Isn't it a little dangerous to be using real weapons in just uniforms?"

Dulcinea smirked as Belleza and the others withdrew to the sides. "Just pick your weapon, Vigoro."

Vigoro huffed as he strode to one of the nearby weapon racks, examining his options before selecting a hulking greatsword and hefting it with two hands. "Well, it's your funeral, admiral." He said as he moved back to the center of the room to face her.

Dulcinea raised her sword, watching him carefully. "Are you ready?" She asked, ignoring his comment.

"You bet." Vigoro said.

"Then let's begin." Dulcinea said. Belleza blinked, and in that moment the older woman had closed the distance to Vigoro, casually knocking aside a heavy overhead swing from his greatsword before arcing a swing towards his neck.

Vigoro gasped and lurched aside, resettling his grip on his oversized sword before growling and taking another swing, this time horizontally towards the admiral's midsection.

She tumbled clean over the blade before whirling and pressing the edge of her sword against Vigoro's neck. He froze in place as the greatsword slipped from his hands to clatter on the floor. "I believe you've lost, Vigoro." Dulcinea observed.

"How the hell did you do that?" He asked, flabbergasted and still unwilling to move with her sword pressing against his throat.

Dulcinea almost reluctantly withdrew her blade, and Vigoro sagged with relief as she did so. "Raw strength is not the key to winning battles." She said. "Go sit down, Vigoro." Then, she gestured to Alfonso. "You're next."

Alfonso flinched where he sat, before standing up and putting on a confident smirk. "Rest assured, I'm not an oaf like Vigoro." He said as he turned to fetch a rapier from one of the racks behind him.

"No doubt." Dulcinea said flatly as he returned. She raised her sword once more as she faced him. "Are you ready?"

Alfonso assumed a fencer's form before nodding. "Come at me." He said.

Dulcinea was just as fast this time as she was last time, thrusting her blade at Alfonso repeatedly like a rapier. Alfonso, to his credit, evaded the first several strikes with elegant sidesteps before launching his own counterattack once he had an opening, aiming several quick thrusts at the admiral's chest.

She dodged them all with small, efficient movements that kept her close enough to him to counterattack, and it quickly became apparent that despite his good form, Alfonso was starting to be outmatched. His evasive motions soon became harried, and he let out a hiss as one of the admiral's constant strikes bit into his side.

He raised his rapier to catch her next strike, and the two blades clashed. Strain showed on the young man's face as he tried to hold his ground, but Dulcinea hardly seemed to be breaking a sweat as she leaned on him. Alfonso took a step back, and then another, until eventually Dulcinea shoved his blade aside and drove her sword at his chest.

It stopped an inch away, leaving Alfonso frozen just like Vigoro had been. "Y-you win." He said.

Dulcinea sighed as she pulled away, shaking her head. "Good technique is valuable, but that won't win you a serious battle either." She turned to Belleza. "Sit down, Alfonso. Bel, you're next."

Belleza watched Alfonso as he strode dejectedly back to the benches to sit down. Dulcinea seemed almost superhumanly good, and she really didn't expect she herself was that good with a blade. She bit her lip as she considered her options, standing up and heading over to the weapon rack.

She looked over the blades and clubs, passing over each of them before coming to a more interesting option. She gently grabbed the handle of a whip that had been coiled around the top of the rack, laying the cord across her free hand as she examined it. Strength and technique wouldn't do it - maybe changing the game would.

She sighed and briefly wondered if she was making a fool of herself as she strode back to the center of the room. Dulcinea was smiling as she caught sight of Belleza's choice of weapon. "You always were one for doing things differently, Belleza." She said as she raised her weapon. "Are you ready?"

Belleza took a deep breath as she tightened her grip on the handle. "I'm ready." She said.

Dulcinea's eyes flashed as she lunged towards the redhead, but Belleza had seen this trick twice now. She was ready, and she sidestepped, then hurried several steps more away from the admiral's reach before unfurling the whip and lashing it in the admiral's direction.

Dulcinea dodged to one side to avoid the arcing cord before rushing at Belleza again, even faster this time. Belleza hurried aside once more, getting clear of the admiral's reach only just barely and aiming another whip strike at her, this time focusing on a different target.

Dulcinea gasped as the whip coiled around her blade and began to tug it away from her hand, and for a moment Belleza felt a flush of triumph. It faded quickly as the admiral smiled and shook her head ever so slightly before tearing the whip from the redhead's hand with a forceful flick of her sword arm.

In a flash, Dulcinea was on her, blade pointed at the redhead's chest. "Sorry, Bel." She said with an apologetic smile. "Even great cunning isn't enough to win it all."

Belleza shivered slightly as the point of the admiral's sword menaced her for a moment more before the older woman withdrew. "You can sit down." She said, and Belleza breathed a sigh of relief as she hurried back to the benches.

"Are you all starting to understand the lesson I'm teaching here?" Dulcinea asked as she looked them over. Only Ramirez was left, and he got to his feet without being called, striding to the center of the room to face the admiral.

"Enough of this." He said coldly, extending his hand to one side. Suddenly, a long and silvery sword was in his hand, as if from nowhere. Belleza's eyes widened as she considered where he must've been hiding it and came up with no answers.

Dulcinea raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired young man. "That's quite a trick you've got there. You really are full of surprises, sergeant Ramirez." She said. "It's a shame you're such an absolute pain in the ass to talk to."

Ramirez scowled at her before raising his sword. "I'm ready."

The admiral narrowed her eyes at him. "So be it."

Both of them were on one another at the same time, blades clashing with loud metallic clangs as they both rushed to offense. They circled one another, dodging and swinging almost in unison as their movements became hard to follow.

As Belleza watched them trying to keep up, she realized they were going gradually faster and faster. Their movements started to become a blur as both Ramirez and admiral Dulcinea began to show signs of strain in the rare moments where their faces were visible. Neither of them was able to land a hit on the other, so quick were they both.

However, as they both continued to push their limits, it soon became apparent that Dulcinea had the upper hand. Her swings began to get closer and closer to Ramirez's body, and he began to backpedal as she pressed the offensive. His expression was one of disbelief as he found himself struggling to defend against her assault.

Soon the dueling pair neared the edge of the arena. The admiral's strikes looked vicious. Belleza wondered if Dulcinea would be able to stop herself from simply beheading Ramirez now if the younger man failed to block a strike. It didn't look like a practice fight to her anymore. This looked like a duel to the death.

Dulcinea's sword arced towards Ramirez's shoulder, almost too fast to see. In a flash, Ramirez's silvery sword was interposed between the two of them, holding her back in a duel of strengths, just like Alfonso had tried - and lost.

Ramirez seemed to be faring better, however, and Belleza blinked as she saw Dulcinea take a faltering step back as the silver-haired young man pushed harder into their locked blades. "Looks like you're not as tough as you like to think you are." The young man gloated.

Though she couldn't see all of the admiral's face at this angle, Belleza could tell the words had had an effect on her. An expression she'd never seen on Dulcinea's face before crossed the woman's features, and she let out a furious sounding shout as she drove back against Ramirez with newfound strength.

Ramirez's eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled back once, then twice before his guard was broken. Dulcinea swept his blade aside before driving the edge of her sword against his shoulder, stopping just short of actually cutting into him. Still, Belleza thought she saw a trickle of red seeping into the man's uniform.

Ramirez's face was frozen in an expression of shock. "How?" He said.

"It seems, Sergeant Ramirez," Dulcinea said as she almost reluctantly pulled her sword away from the young man's shoulder, "That even hating your opponent is not enough."

Belleza hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. She let it out with a long sigh as she watched the admiral stride away from Ramirez. She stood in the center of the room, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead before addressing the three still sitting on the benches.

"You've all still got a lot to learn about what it takes to win in any circumstance. Overspecialization is just as bad as being a master of none. You must cultivate many strengths and have support that safeguards your weaknesses." Dulcinea said. "This is my first lesson to you all."

Belleza already felt tired. She missed Enrique, and she could tell that this was going to be very difficult. Still, this was an opportunity to change things that would likely never come to her again. And as she caught another glance from Dulcinea, she knew that she'd be able to to do this if she set her mind to it.

Still… she had to wonder about Galcian. And now, about Ramirez. Her eyes flickered to the silver-haired young man as he continued to stand in the corner of the room, staring now at the floor as he took deep, but unsteady breaths. What was wrong with that young man? She knew she'd have to keep an eye on him going forward.

* * *

Galcian stood at the end of the admirals' meeting room, peering out at the world through the tall window at the end of the chamber. Out there, somewhere, he knew that Gregorio's men would be cleaning up the mess left behind after Mendosa's death. From there, they would be instrumental in cementing his power.

A voice caught his attention from behind him. "'And as I looked out on the varied peoples of the world, I realized that soon, all of them would fall under my dominion.'" it said.

"Emperor Ulises II. I suppose it's apt." Galcian said as he turned to face admiral Dulcinea.

"Personally, I never liked his quotes." She said, frowning as she stared at the window for a moment before closing the distance to him.

"He's a bit blunt, but he had some good ideas. He just never managed to act upon them."

"It's hard not to feel like you're following in his footsteps." She said.

Galcian scoffed. "Please. I'm not following him. My ambitions are of my own imagination."

Dulcinea smiled wistfully at that. "Sometimes, that's what scares me most."

Galcian frowned at her. "How did the training go? I heard you didn't get many applicants."

Dulcinea sighed and leaned one of her forearms on the edge of the window as she peered out of it at the cloudy night skies of mid ocean. "They've all got their own strengths, but I don't think any of them are ready. Won't be for a long time, likely." She admitted.

Galcian raised an eyebrow, even though she was turned away from him. He knew she'd catch it anyways. "Even Ramirez?"

Dulcinea scowled at her reflection in the translucent glass. "Especially Ramirez. I don't like him, and I don't trust him."

Galcian sighed. "He's just a tool, Dulcinea."

"Tools can be misused. A scalpel made to save lives can end them just as well."

Galcian gently grabbed the admiral's arm and pulled her away from the window to face him. "But do you really think _I_ am one to misuse a tool so ineptly?"

Dulcinea stared at him for several moments before looking away. "I don't know." She admitted.

Galcian set a hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him once more. She reluctantly met his eyes again. "You'll see. In time, he'll serve me well. He'll serve _you_ well, too, if you let him." He smirked at her. "You've never been one to control people like I do, but I know you're perfectly capable of it."

"There's a difference between 'can' and 'should', Galcian." She chided him.

His smirk didn't falter. "And that difference is smaller than you think it is."

Dulcinea stared at him searchingly for a minute before closing her eyes with a sigh. "I'll keep training him, along with the others. I'm not giving any of them the admiralty yet, though. I meant what I said about them all being a long way from ready."

She shivered as his hand slid down the back of her neck. "I will continue to entrust that task to you, then. I know you will get me the results I need." When she opened her eyes again, he was looking out the window again. "Soon, we'll be able to change all of Arcadia to our liking." He said.

She followed his gaze to stare out the window as well. In the long distance she could see the sun just barely beginning to rise. "Yes, lord Galcian."


	6. Old Wounds, New Day

_7 years after the sinking of the Aquila…_

The skies of mid ocean were painted a blazing orange by the setting sun as the little ship flew westward, staying high and close to the cloud ceiling, where it would be difficult to spot. Blue pennants attached to the ship's mast fluttered in the breeze, catching the eye of the girl occupying the deck.

Her eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue, and she tore them away from the distraction a moment later to continue scouring the skies around her. In one hand she held a long metal scythe with a translucent blue blade; in the other, a lantern with a merrily-twinkling flame at its center.

Beyond the scythe, a few things stood out about her - her stark white hair that faded into a trio of blue pigtails; the belt full of knives around her waist; and the sharp silvery blades that had been fitted onto the fronts of her boots. Above all, she looked ready for a fight, and as she caught sight of her target in the distance, she knew she'd have one.

"Raiding another merchant ship, Corin? So predictable." She muttered to herself with a smirk as she strode over to the little cabin containing the ship's bridge. She rapped three times on the door before shouting. "That's him! Bring us down!" She didn't hear a response, but she felt the little ship beginning to descend towards the scene below.

A large pirate ship was laying into another, smaller ship with its cannons, and she could faintly see some of the former's crew boarding the latter to begin killing and stealing. This really was the perfect opportunity, she reflected as her little ship descended close enough for her liking.

There were about a dozen pirates visible on the deck of the larger ship, and she picked one at random before slinging the lantern over the side to tumble downwards towards its unfortunate target. There was a cracking of glass, a bloom of orange-red light, and a scream as it connected. The fire slowly began to spread over the deck.

She saw several of the pirate crew stop to stare. One or two began to look towards the source, and she took that moment to make her entrance, leaping over the railing before her to land neatly on the deck of the larger ship below. Her scythe lashed out to impale the nearest pirate a moment later, and as he collapsed the remaining men turned to face her. "Hello, boys." She said with a smirk.

"Kill her!" One of them shouted as all of them began to come at her. She hurried to one side to get out of the way of the initial crush of bodies before turning and slashing another in the chest with her scythe. One more pirate who'd tried to blindside her got a knife in the neck from the collection at her belt before he could the remaining distance to her.

The element of surprise was gone, now, however, and the remaining pirates, though their numbers had been thinned, now surrounded her with hate in their eyes. The largest and most grizzled-looking one stepped forward to scoff at her, looking back and forth between her and the flames spreading over the ship. "So, you must be the 'angel of death'. I'm afraid you've underestimated us." He gestured to the fire. "Someone put that out while the rest of us kill her."

The girl's grin returned as she shook her head. "Deathhound!" She shouted the word with one hand cupped to her lips to make sure it'd project. The pirates had a moment to stare at her in confusion before a massive green feralisk hound landed on one of them and began to tear into him with its claws.

All the pirates, except the grizzled one, turned or flinched. She took advantage of the distraction to surge forward towards the group. "Good boy." She said under her breath as she whirled her scythe. Two of them managed to get out of the way, but the rest were cut down before they had a chance to react.

"Son of a…!" One of the two survivors began, only to be tackled down by the hound a moment later, crying out as he got a taste of its claws. That left the girl alone with the large pirate who'd scoffed at her a moment ago.

"Corin the bloodletter. The angel of death has come for you." She said as her smile faded. Her blue eyes turned icy as she stared him down.

Corin, for his part, glared right back at her as he levelled his scimitar in her direction. "You'll pay for this." He spat before lunging at her.

She sidestepped his swing, arcing her scythe towards his back. He managed to anticipate it and ducked under the blade before aiming another slash of his sword at her legs. The girl was out of range before his sword was halfway there, and she drew a knife from her belt and flicked it at him as he rose. He let out a pained cry as it struck him in the leg.

She charged him, but with his mobility reduced he couldn't avoid her anymore. He stopped one swing of her scythe with his sword, then another, but the third bit into his side. He stumbled back as he clutched the fresh wound, staring at the girl in disbelief. "S-stop. I'll give you whatever you want, just let me go." He said, brandishing his sword at her in a now-pitiful show of defiance.

The girl scowled at him. Her scythe lashed out at him, and he managed just barely to catch the blow on his sword. A smirk spread across the girl's face a moment before she flicked one leg out in a kick aimed at his chest. The blade attached to her boot cut a deep gouge in his chest, and he stared at it for a moment before collapsing.

The girl looked around her. The fire was beginning to spread faster now and had engulfed half the deck. The merchant ship looked like it was dealing with the few pirate stragglers that had been left out, and it was beginning to pull away. Her work here was done. She turned around to find that her little ship had descended to be level with the deck of the pirate ship.

"C'mon, Deathhound." She said, waving to the dog as it continued to scratch or prod at the corpses littering the deck. It barked before following her as she leapt across the divide back to her ship. Once her pet had made it too, she rapped her knuckles on the cabin again. "Let's go."

She leaned over the railing to watch the pirate ship burn ever brighter as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Once she'd had enough of admiring her work, she knelt down to scratch gently at Deathhound's shaggy green fur. "You did good today." She said. Deathhound's tongue lolled out as he panted at her.

She gave his head a pat before standing and opening the door to the little ship's bridge. A man in a purple coat with dark hair stood at the helm, staring out at the skies ahead with a bored look on his face. "You sure don't waste any time getting your work done." He said.

"Neither do you, Lawrence." She said as she strolled over to a simple, empty weapon rack by the door and set her scythe on it. "I'd say you've earned your pay this job."

"I always do." Lawrence said simply. "Where to now?"

The girl tilted her head as she thought for a moment. "Sailor's island. I could use a break from sailing."

Though his expression didn't change, Lawrence's tone grew a touch more concerned. Most people wouldn't have caught it. "There's a lot of things you could use a break from, Piastol."

Piastol rolled her eyes as she undid the threads holding up her pigtails, letting her multicolored hair fall over her shoulders. "You're one to talk, mister mercenary."

Lawrence was adamant. "I just sail ships. How many people have you killed?"

She glared at his back. "Don't lecture me. I don't pay you for that." She said with finality.

"If that is your wish." He replied. "We'll be at Sailor's island within the hour." The little change in his tone was gone now, replaced with professional matter-of-factness.

Piastol sighed as she leaned against the wall and watched the darkness of evening spread out over the skies of mid ocean. She didn't need a lecture from Lawrence, of all people. He didn't know a damn thing about her. She wasn't going to stop until she'd gotten her revenge. When _that_ pirate had paid, maybe she could change.

Until then, she'd stay the angel of death.

* * *

The light of the rising sun gleamed off the hull of the Serpent as it made its way through Blue Rogues' territory towards its destination. Half a dozen other ships from Galcian's personal fleet accompanied it, all ready to attack.

Ramirez approached Galcian on the bridge as their destination came into sight in the distance. "We're approaching Pirate isle, my lord. What are your orders?" The young man said.

Galcian pulled his encompassing black cloak a little closer around his shoulders as he stared at the steadily-approaching shape of the small island ahead. "Give them a show of force. Bombard the island and destroy the buildings. Stop before it's completely shelled out, however."

Ramirez nodded as he turned to leave the bridge. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

Captain Dyne was sitting at the table in his home, eating breakfast when a noise from outside caught his attention. Normally he'd have dismissed it as typical, except this one had sounded like a scream. His intuition shouted at him to hurry as he rose to his feet and hurried out the door.

Almost immediately he found himself accosted by Luke, one of his crewmen. The young redhead looked frantic as he grabbed the older man's arm and shook him. "Captain Dyne! The Armada is here!" He said, pointing off to one side.

Dyne's gaze followed his direction, and immediately he caught sight of the squadron of black ships approaching. "Get everyone below ground!" He shouted as he tugged his arm free of Luke's grip. "Hurry!"

He'd barely had time to give the orders before the first cannonball slammed into the side of the island's windmill, toppling it with a thunderous crack. More soon began to follow, targeting the houses and making a deafening racket as they blazed through wood and stone alike.

There was panic around him as his crew began to direct the women and children into the tunnels below the island. Though most of them looked shocked or terrified, he was relieved to see that none of them appeared seriously hurt. He soon joined his fellows in ushering everyone below.

Soon, the cannonfire stopped, to be replaced by the roar of a large ship's engine as the largest of the attacking ships drew near. Dyne froze as he recognized the markings on the side. "The Serpent… What is Galcian doing here?" He said in disbelief.

A minute later, smaller ships began to descend on the island, and Valuan troops began to march through the wreckage as they disembarked to surround the pirates gathered on the surface. All of the pirates drew their weapons as they glared at their would-be captors. "Easy, men." Dyne said, and he saw a little of the tension go out of them as he spoke.

None of the Valuans said anything until their leader arrived. A young man with short, silver hair came forward to stand before him, brandishing a deadly-looking sword in the same shade of silver. "Captain Dyne of the Blue Rogues - you are hereby under arrest for attacking a ship of the Valuan armada and stealing property of the Valuan armada."

"Captain Dyne?" Luke said quietly from off to the captain's side.

They were heavily outnumbered. They didn't stand a chance, and Dyne knew it. He'd always depended on secrecy and obscurity to protect him, and now the jig was up. He knelt and set his pistol at his feet as he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright. You win." He said dejectedly.

His crew hesitated for a long moment before following suit, setting their weapons down slowly before raising their hands. The silver-haired young man shook his head. "Disappointing. I was hoping you would resist." He said before sheathing his sword and gesturing to one of the soldiers beside him. "Find the girl. Get the rest of these pirates in chains, and burn their ship."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier said, snapping off a salute before he and several of his fellows hurried to begin cuffing the pirates or heading into the tunnels to search for their target.

Dyne frowned as he found his hands restrained, forced to watch as his crew was carted off to the smaller ships surrounding the island to be taken aboard the Serpent. "Leave this one to me." The silver-haired young man said as one of the soldiers moved to lead Dyne away.

Dyne scowled at him. "What do you want?"

The young man smirked as he leaned close. "You made a grave mistake stealing from the empire, captain Dyne." His smirk faded into a glare as he gripped the hilt of his sword with one hand. "Where is Fina?"

Dyne hissed under his breath. "I knew that girl would be trouble." He said as he looked away from the gloating expression on the young man's face. "We're not hiding her. Your boys will find her soon enough."

"Did you hurt her?" The young man asked. The look in his eyes when Dyne glanced his way once more made him shudder.

"No. Nobody's hurt her." Dyne said simply.

"Good." The young man replied as he grabbed Dyne's arm in a surprisingly strong grip and began to lead him away. "I will escort you to your… accommodations."

Dyne felt his heart sink as he looked back at the scorched ruins of his home. He could only hope he'd see it again; and maybe, that Vyse wouldn't do anything foolish when he saw it.

* * *

Piastol's work could get very boring indeed at times; Though killing pirates was always exciting, there were far too many pirates in mid ocean for her to go after all the time. And so she'd limit herself to targeting those who she felt grew too bold and successful - those who needed to be purged from Arcadia the most.

She'd been docked at Sailor's island for almost three days, and she passed the time the way she usually did. Her knife scraped gently at the little piece of wood in her hand as she carved out the shapes she saw in her head. When at last it was perfect, she carefully positioned it above the deck of the miniature ship on the table in front of her.

She narrowed her eyes as she set the last piece into place with a little bit of adhesive, before leaning back with a sigh of relief. Her muscles were sore from sitting around for so long, and her legs demanded a stretch. Luckily, she had plenty of reason to use them now that her work was done.

She rose and stepped away from the table to grab a black hooded cloak from a rack nearby, slinging it over her shoulders and pulling the hood over her eye-catching hair before fastening it around her collar. Then she grabbed the little model ship from the table, carrying it delicately in both hands as she stepped out the door and onto the deck of her real ship.

Deathhound raised his head from where he sat on the deck to watch her go as she nimbly hopped onto the dock her ship was fastened to. "Be a good boy while I'm away, okay?" She said with a wink at her furry companion before heading into town.

Sailor's island was a bustling place that many would consider the heart of mid ocean. It was certainly the most developed town in the region, with dozens of shops and a thriving community of traders and sailors.

And pirates. Their numbers in the town had begun to thin since Piastol had started to make a name for herself, and she felt a little swell of pride as she considered that fact. Most of the people she passed on the cobbled streets looked respectable, or at least passable. Few of them gave her more than a passing glance.

That suited her just fine. She didn't want attention. Attention would only make her job harder. She needed to move freely from place to place, to be able to track her targets without them knowing she was after them. If nothing else, her choice of work had taught her subtlety.

A bell jingled as she opened the door to the little shop. She stepped inside to see that she was the only one there other than the woman at the counter, which seemed to be the usual. She sometimes wondered how they made any money with how few customers they seemed to have.

The woman behind the counter seemed to perk up as she caught sight of the hooded girl. "Oh! Emilia. It's been awhile." She said with a smile.

Piastol smiled back at her as she heard the fake name. "Indeed it has, Loretta. I've got more junk to sell you." She said.

"Oh, please, Emi! The things you make are hardly junk." Loretta said as she waved her over to the counter. "Let me see it." Piastol gently set the model ship on the counter for the woman's inspection. Loretta quickly went to work looking it over. "My, my, this is bigger than what you usually make. I like it!"

Piastol felt her cheeks heat slightly. Ms. Loretta was always too kind for her own good. "Thanks. What'll you give me for it?"

"How does about 3,000 gold sound?" The woman said with a thoughtful look.

Piastol blinked. That was 500 more than she usually got. "Are you sure?"

Loretta smiled warmly at the young woman across the counter. "Of course! I can tell you really put your heart into this one."

Piastol rubbed idly at her neck with embarrassment. "Well, I won't say no…" She said with a small smile of her own.

Loretta fumbled with a purse she pulled from her hip for a moment before depositing three large golden coins on the counter. "Come back sooner this time, okay?" She said. "I worry about what you get up to when you're away."

The white-haired young girl nodded uncomfortably as she scooped up the coins and deposited them into her pocket. "I'll try my best, Loretta. Thank you for this." She said. Loretta nodded at her before she hurried out the door.

Piastol sighed as she stepped outside. Loretta was tremendously kind, and her generous payments had often been what kept the young girl afloat when supplies ran dry, but she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to take kindness at face value again. It always made her feel like something bad was about to happen. She shivered as unpleasant memories flickered through her head before turning to head back down the street. She needed a drink.

She'd gotten about halfway to Polly's tavern, staring at her feet for the most part before she bumped into someone. "Hey, watch where you're going!" She snapped as she took a step back and glared at the offending pedestrian.

A girl in a bright yellow outfit with even brighter orange hair glared right back at her. "You're the one who wasn't looking where she was going!" The girl snapped.

Piastol scowled. This girl's loud outfit was already annoying enough, but by the way she stood and the manner of her dress, she could already guess that she was a pirate. She wanted as little to do with her as was possible. "Get out of my way." She said as she tried to pass her by.

The girl grabbed her arm. "You should apologize when you do something like that. Manners are important, you know?" She said.

Piastol yanked her arm away and turned to glare at the young pirate once more. "You want to lecture me about manners?" She scoffed. "I don't need to take lessons from a dirty pirate."

The girl's jaw dropped for a moment before her expression got even angrier. "You little…" She growled.

"Aika! What are you doing? Let's go, already!" Someone called to her from nearby. Piastol followed the sound of the voice to look for its source, but whoever it was was already in the crowd near the tavern.

The girl - Aika, Piastol supposed - flinched for a moment before sighing. "I'll let you off the hook this time." She said with one last glare before she turned to run towards the source of the voice. "Coming!" She called as she disappeared into the crowd herself.

Piastol followed her with her eyes until she disappeared. Something about that girl seemed familiar, but she didn't quite know what. Whatever it was, it was making her upset, and she knew now more than ever that she'd need that drink. She hurried to the tavern.

Polly's tavern was crowded like it usually was in the afternoons, but Piastol managed to find a seat soon enough. "What're you having?" The young waitress said as she approached.

"Just get me a glass of mur loqua." Piastol said with a wave of her hand before handing the waitress a smaller gold coin.

"Coming right up!" The girl said before disappearing behind the counter.

Piastol passed the time by listening to the chatter around her. Most of it was talk about trade or food, but one thing caught her interest.

A scruffy-looking sailor was talking to another one with dark hair. "So I heard the armada was in Blue Rogue territory yesterday." The scruffy-looking one said.

"Yeah, I heard they got Dyne." The dark-haired one replied.

"Damn shame. He was one of the better guys out there."

"You think this is the end of the line for him?"

The scruffy-looking sailor nodded seriously. "Oh, definitely. Once Valua gets you, you're done. They'll be dead before the week is out, no question."

"Tsk… that's hard." The dark-haired one said, shaking his head.

"That's life." The other replied.

Piastol was distracted from the conversation as the waitress returned, setting a glass of greenish liquid down in front of her. "Here you go. Enjoy." She said before hurrying off to service other tables.

Piastol took a sip of it with a smile. Pirates meeting their just demise was always a treat. She didn't even mind that Valua was taking work from her. As she imagined the bratty redhead from a few minutes ago among their number, she only wished she could be there to see them die.

* * *

Admiral Belleza made her way through the Grand Fortress with purpose, heading for the meeting room at the top. Lord Galcian's summons had been urgent, and she didn't intend to keep him waiting.

She'd changed considerably since being given admiralty and command of the intelligence division. She'd honed her skills in lying and manipulation, built up a network of spies and informants, and tailored her appearance to better suit her role. Her long red hair now flowed past the shoulders of her custom uniform, which carried a similar shade of red to match.

Soon enough, she reached the imposing double-doors leading to the meeting room and opened them, stepping inside and taking her seat at the large table in the center of the room. Admirals Gregorio, Alfonso and De Loco were already there and waiting. "Glad you could make it, Belleza." De loco said with a sneer.

She gave him an unamused look through his glassy helmet. The little engineer, De Loco, had only been given the position of admiral quite recently, but he'd been working as the head of Galcian's engineering division for three years. Apparently his father had had a hand in creating the Grand Fortress itself.

That didn't help his personality at all, though. He was a crafty, irritable misanthrope, and Belleza stayed out of his way whenever possible. Normally the separation in their duties made that easy, but meetings like this one often led them to clash. "It's nice to see you too, Lord De Loco." She said with a forced smile as she bit back what she really wanted to say.

Whatever De Loco had to say to her was interrupted when the doors opened again to admit Lord Galcian himself, flanked by admiral Dulcinea and his vice captain, Ramirez. Belleza's gaze flickered between Galcian and the silver-haired vice captain as they crossed the floor. Dulcinea took a seat at the table, while Galcian and Ramirez moved to the front of the room.

Ramirez stepped off to one side while Galcian took a position at the end of the table. "Good evening, admirals of the Valuan armada. I appreciate you assembling on such short notice." Galcian said.

Belleza and the other admirals nodded. "What news do you have for us, Galcian?" Gregorio said, his armor creaking as he shifted in his seat. Belleza idly wondered if he ever took it off.

A smirk spread across Galcian's face. "As of yesterday, we have finally captured a member of the silver civilization. She is being prepared to meet the empress as we speak."

Alfonso wore an expression of self-satisfaction as he spoke. "Of course, I was the one who first located her. Had I not been betrayed by my own men, I might've been able to bring her here even earlier."

Belleza frowned at him out of the corner of her eye. That's not what her network had told her, and they were rarely wrong. "Is that so, admiral Alfonso?" She said. She saw him flinch ever so slightly, and that told her all she needed to know as she carefully kept the smile off her face.

"I'm sure the empress will be very pleased. Hopefully this girl will be willing to help our cause." Gregorio said seriously.

"No doubt she can be persuaded." Dulcinea noted.

De Loco chuckled from his seat at the other end of the table. "If not, I have more than a few methods of ensuring her compliance."

Both Belleza and Dulcinea glared at him for a moment before Galcian's voice brought both of their attentions back to his end of the table. "I will be escorting her to the palace shortly. With the empress's approval, I believe we will be able to begin our search for the moon crystals very shortly." His cool gaze swept over each of the assembled admirals. "I suggest you begin making preparations."

"Yes, Lord Galcian." The reply was unanimous among the assembled admirals.

"You are dismissed." Galcian said. The sound of chairs moving across the floor echoed throughout the room as one by one the admirals rose to their feet and began departing. "Except you, Alfonso." He added a moment later.

Alfonso froze mid-step, before slowly turning to face Galcian. "Did you need something from me?" Belleza, too, stopped near the doors to watch, letting herself smirk about it now.

Galcian strode forward to confront Alfonso directly, towering over the younger man and oozing with implied threat. "You lied in your report on the girl's capture. You betrayed your men to save yourself, then gave the ship over to pirates."

Alfonso shook his head with a shaky smile. "I did no such thing! Why would I lie to you?" His acting was convincing nobody.

Galcian narrowed his eyes at Alfonso. "The pirates released the ship and your men recently, and they returned to make a full - and accurate - report." Alfonso visibly deflated as he looked away from the older man towering over him. "Such weakness is unacceptable. You are hereby relieved of your command over the mid ocean fleet and confined indefinitely to Ixa'taka."

Alfonso stared at the floor, avoiding Galcian's eyes. "Yes, Lord Galcian." He said dejectedly.

Galcian regarded him with contempt as he waved a hand dismissively. "Get out of my sight."

Belleza watched him walk out with his tail between his legs. A moment later she realized Galcian was staring at her. "Admiral Belleza?" He said questioningly.

She gave him an apologetic bow of her head. "Sorry, my lord. I just wanted to see that." She admitted.

Galcian's smirk returned, and it briefly made Belleza's chest tighten as she realized it was directed at her. "Understandable. I'm sure you've been waiting for it ever since your listeners first reported it." He said matter-of-factly. "Nonetheless, I believe you have work to do."

"Of course, Lord Galcian. I'll get right on it." She said, bowing her head once more before hurrying out the door, leaving Galcian alone with his silent vice captain.

Galcian was quiet a moment before turning to Ramirez. "Go ahead and ask me the question you've been meaning to. No sense in keeping silent about it any longer."

Ramirez blinked for a moment before staring at Galcian with the faintest hint of a smile. "Very well." He said. "If it's not too much trouble, may I be the one to escort Fina to the palace, my lord?"

Galcian sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. While I don't doubt you have plenty to say to her, there are plans I must put in motion during my visit to the palace. You'll have to save your reunion for afterwards."

Ramirez looked at the floor with a slight nod. "Yes, my lord. I understand." He quickly bit down on the little flicker of emotion that had begun to stir in his chest, before looking back at Galcian. "What will happen to the air pirates that kidnapped her?"

Galcian smirked. "They'll be executed tomorrow morning. All of Valua will get to see their heads roll."

Ramirez felt that faint smile returning as he nodded once more. "As it should be, my lord."

* * *

The gate rolled open with a creak, and Dyne was led out into the open space of the coliseum by a duo of armored guards. The roar of the crowd was a constant din in his ears as he was marched toward the executioner's block.

The executioner himself had apparently dressed up for the occasion, wearing a large set of exquisite gold and red armor that matched the yellow-bladed axe he held in one hand. Dyne thought it looked tacky as he was walked up onto the small, raised stage on which the executioner stood.

"What is this, a high-society party?" Dyne scoffed at the executioner.

"Fitting last words for a pirate." The executioner said.

Dyne felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked around. This was really it. His hands were bound. All his men were in chains, locked up in cages nearby and waiting to be executed after him.

This would be the end of Dyne of the Blue Storm.

He was just about resolved to his fate when he heard a clatter of metal, followed by hurried footsteps. A moment later, the guard on his right let out a grunt as another metallic clang sounded, before collapsing to the floor. "What the…?!" The other one said, only to be felled in a similar fashion a second afterwards.

Dyne was knocked off his feet as someone tugged at the collar of his shirt, pulling him just out of reach of the executioner's axe as it swept out to carve through the space he'd occupied just a moment before. He let out a grunt as he hit the floor, painstakingly working his way to his feet without his hands to help him.

He was halfway up when a set of familiar hands helped him the rest of the way. He came face to face with a young man wearing a zoom lens over one eye, his messy dark red hair just barely avoiding hanging in his face. "Vyse?" Dyne said with disbelief.

"Hey, Dad." Vyse said simply. "Hold still." He said, and Dyne froze as he felt one of his son's cutlasses slash through the rope binding his wrists.

He turned around to see chaos breaking out in the coliseum. Aika and an older man with a mechanical arm were battering the surprised guards and freeing his men left and right. Dyne scratched his head in confusion as he tried to process all this. Was it a dream? "Vyse, what the hell are you doing here?"

Vyse shook his head before pointing to a hole in the center of the floor of the coliseum, where a hatch had been knocked back to reveal a ladder leading downwards. "No time to explain. You and the rest of your crew need to get out of here."

Dyne was about to protest when another voice interrupted him. "Die, pirate!" The executioner said as he rushed forward towards the both of them, sweeping his axe in a deadly arc. Dyne and Vyse both rushed out of the way, Vyse brandishing his swords as he took a defensive stance soon after.

"Just go, Dad!" He said.

Already, Dyne could see some of his crew hurrying down the newly-revealed ladder while Vyse and his friends shielded them from the executioner and his remaining troops. Dyne shook his head as he hurried to follow the last of his men down the ladder.

He'd known Vyse was crazy, but not _this_ crazy…

* * *

Though the palace was as bustling as ever, the last seven years had left Enrique feeling quite alone. He spent most of his time reading or attempting to persuade his mother of a new course for Valua. His visits to lower city had become increasingly infrequent, and Gregorio had warned him more than once that he was becoming a shut-in.

He wasn't sure he cared. He'd had to watch his mother grow increasingly violent over the years despite everything he tried, and now the one person he'd thought he could count on was far away from him at all times. He'd seen her maybe a dozen times in seven years, and most of the time it was in formal settings with little room for idle chatter.

So when Galcian arrived in the throne room that day, he didn't get upset. He simply stood alongside his mother and watched as the two of them conspired to destroy the world.

"Lord Galcian?" Teodora said with a gleeful smile on her face, her eyes roving over the young woman standing beside the Lord Admiral.

Galcian nodded seriously as he gestured to the girl. "As you requested, empress, the armada has captured a silvite." He said simply.

The young woman was quite unique-looking indeed, Enrique thought with a distant sort of intrigue. Her white clothes looked exquisite yet very foreign in their design. Her pale blonde hair was veiled by a translucent piece of fabric whose function he couldn't guess at. But what caught his eye was the way she stood - back straight and eyes forward as she faced down the empress.

"Excellent, Lord Galcian. You have yet to fail me…" Teodora said, before turning to the girl. "You are a member of the ancient silver civilization, yes? Your knowledge of the moon crystals will be invaluable in helping to expand the empire." Teodora smiled sweetly as she gestured imploringly at the young silvite. "Tell us what you know, won't you?"

The silvite girl shook her head. "I will die before I tell you anything about the moon crystals."

Teodora's eyes widened instantly. "What?" She said, her voice suddenly shaking with anger.

The silvite lifted her head in defiance as she stared down the empress. "The gigas and the moon crystals nearly destroyed this world in the past. I will not allow that to happen again." Her green eyes narrowed at the older woman standing shocked above her. "Power-hungry dictators like you are the reason the moon crystals must never be wielded by man again."

Teodora's jaw dropped for a moment before she began screaming, "Kill her! Kill this insolent wench now!"

For a moment, Enrique felt his apathy flicker away, and he reached out to set a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mother, you can't do that. This woman has done nothing wrong, and you know it."

Teodora turned to her son with a look of outrage plastered on her face. " _Nothing wrong?_ She's insulted me, Enrique! That alone is a crime worthy of death!" She spat.

The silvite girl spoke up again, her voice frantic. "Listen to me! You really mustn't…"

"Silence!" One of the guards barked, and the girl cried out as she was struck from behind by the butt of his spear.

Galcian sighed as he took a step forward. "Empress…" He said, his voice somehow booming above the others'.

Teodora and Enrique turned to face him, blinking as they momentarily forgot their squabbles. "Yes, Lord Galcian?" the empress said expectantly.

Galcian bowed his head respectfully as he spoke. "With your permission, I will take the girl to the Grand Fortress and find a means to persuade her to give us the information we need. I will then personally lead the armada in tracking down the moon crystals for you. Does that satisfy you, empress?"

Teodora stared at the girl, who was slowly getting to her feet with a dazed expression on her face. "I suppose that will do, yes." she nodded slowly as she regained her composure. "Yes, of course. I task you, Lord Galcian, with retrieving the six moon crystals in the name of the empire. I am certain you will succeed." She said.

Galcian nodded. "Of course, empress. I have but one request…" He said.

"Name it." Teodora said with a smirk.

"I would like to request that my vice-captain, Ramirez, be added to the ranks of the admirals. He has shown consistent excellence as a soldier and a leader." Galcian said.

Enrique's eyes were on the girl as she continued to get up, and so he saw the way she flinched at Ramirez's name. He frowned as he wondered what significance it had to her. "It shall be done." Teodora said. "You may leave. Get this girl out of my sight." She said with a glare at the silvite.

"On your feet!" The guard from before said as he menaced her with his spear. The girl hauled herself to her feet a little unsteadily before being led off and out of the throne room by Galcian.

He was most of the way to the door when it opened to admit another soldier wearing the dress uniform of the royal guard. "Lord Galcian! Empress Teodora! Urgent news from the coliseum!" He said.

Galcian stopped in his tracks to stare at the newcomer. "Speak." He commanded.

The messenger nodded. "Somebody broke into the coliseum during the execution. They freed all the air pirates and incapacitated all the guards on duty."

"And they are still at large?" Galcian said in disbelief.

The guard cowered away from the larger man a few steps. "Y-yes, my lord."

Galcian stared at the messenger for a moment before turning towards the door. "Take this girl to the Grand Fortress at once. I will investigate this disturbance." He said before departing. The hapless messenger stared after him, then turned to the silvite and grabbed her by the arm before leading her out as well.

Someone else standing up to the empress. A breakout in the coliseum. Enrique watched them go, and as he did so, he thought he could see the barest flicker of color beginning to return to his world.

* * *

Ramirez waited at the rail-car depot for Galcian to return with Fina. He'd hurried to get his assigned tasks out of the way so he could be there, yet now, it seemed his benefactor and the girl he'd been waiting seven years to see again were both late. He scowled at nothing as he lingered alone by the tracks.

A distant rumbling eventually caught his attention, and he turned his eyes to one side to catch sight of the lights on the front of a steadily-approaching rail-car. "Finally…" He said, carefully schooling his excitement. He hated to admit it, but Dulcinea's training had taught him a lot about controlling himself, and he was much more reserved now than he'd ever been before.

The rail-car slowed as it neared the depot, and eventually it came to a stop with a screech of metal against metal. He watched as the side doors rolled open, then froze as he realized that none of the passengers were who he was waiting for. He grabbed one of the soldiers and pulled him aside before he could file off into the fortress. "Where is Galcian?" He demanded.

The soldier quickly pulled away from Ramirez's grip. "Watch it! Don't go just grabbing people like that." He chided for a moment before he seemed to realize who he was talking to. "O-oh! Ramirez, sir. Sorry." He said, bowing his head frantically. "Lord Galcian went to investigate a disturbance at the coliseum. Apparently somebody broke in and freed the pirates who were going to be executed."

Ramirez stared at the soldier for a long moment to be sure he wasn't lying. "What about the girl, the silvite?" He asked.

The soldier looked apologetic for a moment before replying. "Uhm, I don't know what you want with her, but… she started making a fuss on the way to the rail-cars by the palace. Apparently it caused quite a delay. She should be here soon, though, alright?" The soldier cracked a smile as he leaned a little closer. "For what it's worth, sir, I hear you're getting promoted. Galcian requested it directly to the empress."

Ramirez was surprised at how little he cared at that moment. "Just get out of my sight." He said, and the soldier hurried to comply, scrambling off into the fortress as quickly as he could. He turned to stare at the rail-car as its engines slowly shut down.

Something wasn't right. Galcian's plans never went awry. Whatever was happening was outside the scope of his master's foresight, and that frightened him. He brooded on this fact as he headed into the fortress. He'd gotten about halfway to his chambers when an alarm started blaring. Almost immediately he could guess what was happening, and he hurried to the nearest hangar.

Soldiers were filing into one of the smaller cruisers docked there, and already its engines were spinning up as it got ready to fly. The slight rumbling beneath his feet told him the gates of the Grand Fortress were either opening or closing, though he couldn't tell which from his current vantage point.

He flagged down the soldier overseeing the ship's departure. "What is going on?" He asked as the alarm continued to blare.

The soldier looked almost as harried and confused as Ramirez felt. "S-someone attacked a rail-car on its way to the fortress! We were told to get in attack formation and close the gates at once."

Ramirez swore under his breath as he hurried to the opening the ship had departed through, giving him a view of the gates as they slowly began to turn towards a closed position. A trio of cruisers had been deployed in the space behind them, waiting for something.

"Moons above… if they screw this up, I'll kill them all." He snarled as he watched and waited with them.

A minute later they began to maneuver, the sounds of their engines filling the air. Cannons began to fire - and then, a moment later, a massive bronze projectile tore through the lead ship, setting it ablaze before the curious weapon retracted. The two ships to either side pulled away from the unfortunate lead vessel it went up in flames, leaving enough space for a green wooden ship to tear through the open space.

"You idiots!" Ramirez shouted helplessly at the two remaining cruisers while the little green ship sped towards the closing gates. The cruisers fired at it, but most of their shots collided with the walls of the fortress instead of their intended target as it pulled further away.

The gates were almost closed. Ramirez clutched at a nearby railing as he watched the distant shape of the green ship near the opening between the gates and the wall.

Then it was out of the fortress and in mid-ocean. The gates closed, obscuring his view of the retreating ship. He shook with barely-restrained anger as he approached the soldier he'd spoken to before, who was apparently receiving a flurry of new information from the console next to him. "R-Ramirez, sir! That ship, they've taken…"

"I know." Ramirez growled. "They've taken Fina."

* * *

Doc's life had been a relatively peaceful one since he'd taken up the mantle of a free ship doctor seven years ago. Staying near Sailor's island kept him relatively safe, while giving him a reasonable amount of space to roam in.

Unfortunately, the fresh air and easy days didn't seem to be doing much for Maria. She'd gotten seemingly no better since the sinking of the Aquila, and in fact, she hadn't said a word to him since they'd landed on that island years ago. He wasn't really sure what to do about her. He'd been keeping her fed and taking care of her to the best of his ability, but she was ten years old now. She'd have to learn to start talking again sometime.

Compounding his confusion and frustration was her new pet. He'd woken up one morning to find her cuddling up to a strange yellow bird he'd never seen before, and she'd been loathe to let it go since. Worse still, it seemed to be a remarkably picky eater. His attempts to get Maria to let it go had failed, and so he'd had to conscript random sailors to track down the rare fish it seemed to favor.

And that had led him to Vyse. He leaned on the railing of his little ship's deck as he watched the Little Jack draw nearer, until the large green ship had pulled up alongside his own. He blinked in surprise as he realized there was someone new aboard the ship alongside Vyse, his friend Aika and crusty old Drachma.

She was dressed all in white, with pale blonde hair. She avoided his eyes when he looked her way. She almost reminded him of Maria, in a way. He glanced towards Vyse. "Ho there, Vyse. Good to see you again." He said with a wave.

In a moment, Vyse had hopped the distance between their ships, landing on the deck of Doc's little craft. Doc noted he was carrying a bag in one hand, and he hoped it contained what he thought it did. "Hey, Doc. I've got some of this fish you wanted, and a story to boot." Vyse replied with a grin.

Doc raised an eyebrow at the young blue rogue before him. "Fill me in."

* * *

"They say they broke out of the Grand Fortress."

Piastol's interest was piqued, and she set her glass down on the table as she focused on listening.

"What?! Who? How'd they do it?"

"You heard about Dyne, right? How he got captured by the armada and was gonna be executed?"

"Yeah. Are you sayin'...?"

"They broke 'im out. From what I'm hearin', they broke into the coliseum, beat up the guards and ran. Then they got on a ship and booked it outta Valua before the gates could close."

"What, his crew? I thought the Valuans got 'em all."

"No, that's the thing. It's this new kid. Nobody's really heard of 'im before, but I guess he's Dyne's son. They're calling him Vyse the Determined."

"Heh. If he's half the blue rogue his dad is, I'm bettin' this ain't the last we'll hear of him."

"I'll say."

Piastol grinned as she tuned out the conversation once more. Vyse the Determined, the pirate who broke out of Valua. He sounded like an excellent target. She set her glass down, empty now, before rising and heading out the doors of the tavern. She had information to gather.

* * *

"You raided a public execution and then broke out of the Grand Fortress?" Doc said, laughing a moment after. Normally he wouldn't believe it, but it _did_ explain how riled-up the Valuans had been in the last few days. "I like you, Vyse. You don't let anything stop you." The older man said with a grin.

Vyse looked a little embarrassed. "I couldn't just let them kill everyone I cared about."

The words sent a few ugly memories to the forefront of Doc's thoughts, and his smile faded a little as he nodded. "I get what you mean. You did the right thing. Just steer clear of Valua for a while, alright?" He said.

"Oh, I'm planning to." Vyse said.

"Now that Vyse is done boasting," Aika chimed in from where she'd been waiting beside him, "Maybe we can finally get around to feeding Maria's poor bird?"

Vyse turned and pouted at his redheaded friend. "C'mon, Aika. I think breaking out of the 'inescapable' Grand Fortress is something that's actually _worth_ boasting about." He said, before turning back to Doc and hefting the bag in his hand. "But, yeah… while we're here, we've got some of those moonfish you wanted."

Doc clapped his hands together once with a satisfied smile. "You're a lifesaver, Vyse." He turned towards the cabin as he raised his voice. "Maria! Can you come outside for a minute?"

The quiet sound of footsteps preceded the sight of a young girl with large blonde pigtails and a simple black dress appearing in the doorway of the ship's cabin. In her arms she held the big yellow bird she'd become so attached to, and she eyed the visitors cautiously as she approached. "They brought some food for your bird." Doc explained.

Maria's expression didn't change, but she nodded as she set her bird down on the deck of the ship and watched Vyse expectantly. Vyse frowned for a moment before stepping forward, reaching into the bag and presenting one of the odd-looking fish to the bird.

Its eyes widened in recognition, and almost immediately it snatched up the fish in its beak and gobbled it down, staring up at Vyse with a hungry look in its eyes. "Wow. Hungry little guy." Vyse said with a grin as he began feeding one moonfish after another to the bird. He ran out within a minute.

Luckily, the bird seemed sated, and it let out what sounded like a burp as it strolled back to Maria. To Doc's surprise, he thought he could see something like a smile on her face. He flinched a moment later when he heard an unfamiliar noise.

"-ank you."

He stared at Maria. "Did you say something, Maria?"

She was silent for another moment as she stared at Vyse, before repeating what she'd said before. "Thank you."

Vyse knelt in front of her, all smiles as usual. "No problem, Maria! Your little bird looks much happier now!" He said.

Maria looked at the bird, then back at Vyse before nodding. She stared at the young man for a minute longer before somewhat awkwardly turning around and hurrying back inside. "She seems so shy…" Aika said as she watched Maria go.

Doc was having trouble forming words as he stared at where Maria had been a second ago. He quickly set his hands on Vyse's shoulders and pulled the boy to his feet. "Vyse! Do you realize what just happened?"

Vyse flinched as he was grabbed, blinking in confusion at Doc. "I, uh, fed a bird some fish?" He said with an uncomfortable smile.

"Maria hasn't said a word to me in seven years!" Doc said, still having trouble processing it.

Aika's jaw dropped. "Your own daughter hasn't spoken to you in years?"

Doc turned his head to give her a flat stare. "She's not my daughter!" He sighed as he pulled away from Vyse and ran his hands over his face. "Okay. I think maybe I need to give you guys the full story for you to understand this."

Vyse gave him a skeptical look. "I think so too. You didn't mention any of this back when we first met."

"Right. Sorry." Doc said as he organized his thoughts. Dredging up these memories would be painful, and he wanted to make sure he'd be clear about things. "Have any of you heard of the Aquila?" He said.

Vyse gave him a blank look, then shrugged. Aika looked thoughtful for a moment. "The name seems kinda familiar… but I can't really say for sure." She admitted.

"It was the flagship of admiral Mendosa of the Valuan armada. I used to be his ship's doctor." Doc explained. "Maria was his daughter."

"Wait, she's the daughter of a Valuan admiral? Why's she out here with you, then?" Vyse said.

"I'm getting there." Doc said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the little ship's mast. "Things started getting a little strange around the time we picked up a kid named Ramirez from an odd shipwreck. He joined our crew a while after, but I think there was something wrong with him."

He heard someone gasp, and when he followed the source of the sound, he realized it was the girl in white from before. She was leaning over the railing of the Little Jack now, watching him intently. "Are you alright?" Doc said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I… I'll be fine. Please, finish your story." She said quietly.

He frowned at her before nodding. "Well, as I said, Ramirez was a little odd. A nice guy, but… I always got the impression there was something dark inside him." Doc sighed wearily as he recalled the night of the fire. "One night, an explosion rocked the ship. A lot of good men died, and the Aquila burned down, the admiral and his wife along with it."

"Oh…" Aika said softly.

Doc nodded. "Besides Maria, Ramirez was the last person I saw on board the Aquila. The look in his eyes at that moment… I'm pretty sure he was the one that did it. Maybe he even killed the admiral himself." He said. "Still, I was close to him, and I never saw it coming. I got Maria out of there, and I've been taking care of her ever since. I suppose it's kinda my punishment for not recognizing Ramirez for the threat he was."

"And she hasn't spoken since then?" Vyse asked.

Doc shook his head. "Not until today." He admitted, staring at Vyse imploringly. "Somehow, that odd little bird - and you - are getting through to her. So what I'm saying is… Please keep finding moonfish for Maria's bird. I need to see her happy again." He pleaded, bowing his head and staring at the floor.

Vyse smiled sadly as he nodded at the older man. "Of course, Doc. I was already planning to keep finding those things for you. Now, I'm even more determined."

Doc wore a relieved smile as he looked up at Vyse again. "Thank you, Vyse. That makes me very happy to hear."

"Uhm…" Doc's eyes were drawn back to the girl in white as she spoke again.

"Something on your mind?" Doc said.

"That Ramirez person… Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about him?" She said.

He frowned at the girl. "What do you know him?" His eyes were drawn to her strange clothes as he started to realize something about them. "Now that I think about it, you're dressed an awful lot like he was when he first ended up on the Aquila." He shrugged. "Ask away."

The girl's fingers gripped the railing of the Little Jack tightly as she spoke. "What did he look like?"

"Well, he was about average height and weight. Really average. He had this unkempt silver hair that I'd always meant to ask him about, and his eyes were silver too. And he was a really good…"

"...Swordsman." The girl finished for him. "Do you know where he is now?" She asked.

Doc stared questioningly at her. "So you do know him?" He said. "I think he's back in Valua now. Working for Lord Galcian, last I heard. He must be doing well for himself." Doc said with a scowl.

He thought he saw the girl shiver, but he couldn't be sure. "Thank you, Doc." She said.

Doc nodded. "Sure thing, uh…?"

"Fina." She said with a small smile.

Doc smiled back at her. "Right, then. Sure thing, Fina."

When he turned to look at Vyse and Aika, they were both watching Fina intently too. Vyse shook himself out of it a moment later before turning to Doc. "Well, I think we'd better get going. I'm sure we'll be back to see you again soon, though."

"May the moons guide you, Vyse." Doc said, waving goodbye to the young man as he and Aika hopped back to the deck of the Little Jack.

"Same to you." Vyse said with a wink. "We'll be in mid ocean for a little while longer, so if you need something else just let us know."

Doc nodded, then watched as the Little Jack pulled away and sailed off into the distance. He sighed once more as he glanced back towards the cabin. For Maria's sake, he hoped he'd be seeing Vyse and his friends again very soon indeed.

* * *

Night had fallen over mid ocean like a dark blue curtain when Piastol set out in her little ship. She knew roughly where she needed to be; that ship would be easy to spot, she felt.

She sailed east awhile, towards the kingdom of Nasr. She didn't often come out this way unless she was killing the pirates that tended to patrol the trade routes out here. It seemed fitting that a pirate like Vyse would choose to lay low here.

Her information sources proved viable yet again as she caught sight of an old-looking green ship hanging still in mid sky, its engines on but idling to keep the ship afloat without moving it. Perfect, she thought. Her instinct to cut Lawrence out this time had been correct. Her little ship was silent as it drifted upwards to pull up alongside the sleepy pirate ship.

Her ship slowed to a stop, and she stepped away from the helm to inspect her gear. She passed over her scythe this time - it would be less useful in the confined interior spaces of a ship. The claws for her boots would also have to go. They'd make too much of a racket when sneaking around. That left her with just her knives and her wits - two things she was quite confident in.

She strolled out onto the deck and peered out over the side at the deck of Vyse's ship. It was empty, to her satisfaction. "Nobody on watch, huh? Overconfident." She mused aloud as she headed over to where Deathhound waited for her. She knelt down to run her hands through his shaggy fur as she spoke to him. "Keep an eye on the ship for me, boy. Gut anyone who tries to touch it."

Deathhound gave her what looked like a nod and an affirmative-sounding pant, and she smiled at him before rising to her feet again. With a quick leap, she crossed the gap to the larger ship's deck. It creaked slightly under her feet, but held surprisingly well for something so old. She wondered who had maintained it as she headed for the door to the main cabin.

It didn't so much as squeak as she opened it. Someone cared for this old ship very much, she thought to herself as she crept forward through the dark interior of the ship. There were two staircases before her - one leading up, one leading down. The upper would likely lead to the bridge. She didn't need anything from there, just yet.

That left her with down. Likely where the crew slept. She made a point of staying quiet as she drew a knife from her belt and began descending the steps.

The sounds of her footsteps were quickly drowned out by the noise of the old ship's engine. She gritted her teeth slightly as she listened. It made it all but impossible to hear anything of note beyond the dull roar of the machinery. She had to wonder how anyone slept down here. Finally, she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to look around.

This room was empty, too. A few barrels scattered around. One door on either side, and a set of double-doors leading to the back of the ship - likely lifeboats. Maybe everyone was asleep in their rooms? As she crept further along, however, she realized she'd missed something.

In the corner, by the double-doors, was a simple hammock that had been strung up from two pegs. It was currently empty.

Just then, she heard footsteps from the floor above her. "Sorry about this." A voice said just before someone kicked her in the shoulder. She grunted in pain as she tumbled into the engine casing, another flash of pain emanating from her back as she collided with the cold metal. She brandished her knife as she stared down her attacker.

He was about her height, with shaggy hair and what looked like an eyepatch made from one lens of a pair of goggles. He had on a black sleeveless shirt and pants to match, and his teeth gleamed in the low light as he grinned at her. "For once, I'm glad that engine's so loud." He said as he watched her.

Piastol hissed as she rushed at him, aiming a quick stab at his gut. Rather than dodging to one side, he leapt up to grab the ledge he'd been standing on before, hauling himself back up to the floor above in record time and leaving her to slash at empty air. A moment later he dropped down behind her again, slamming an elbow into her back and pressing her against the wall.

His fingers grabbed tightly at the back of her neck as he held her there. She squirmed as she tried to jab at him with her elbows. "Calm down." He said. "We can talk this out." The teasing note in his voice made her all the angrier, and when he went to restrain the hand holding her knife, she unsheathed another from her belt with her free hand and aimed it at his chest.

"Woah!" He said, dancing backwards as his hands left her. She whirled around and came at him again, this time with two knives. Now, he couldn't use the second floor to evade her anymore. He settled for dodging backwards, surprisingly nimble in the confined space. "C'mon… now. That's… dangerous." He said, continuing to taunt her even as he struggled for breath.

"Will you just _die_ already?" She spat as she slashed at him with both knives. He was getting near to a wall, and she knew she'd have him cornered soon. Good. She could hear people talking in one of the rooms to the side, and she knew she'd have company soon.

Her opponent's back pressed against the wall, the cool metal of the engine blocking his escape on one side. She stabbed one knife into the wall beside his head, leaning close as they both realized he had nowhere to go. "Guess this is the end for you, huh? At least you put up a half-decent fight." She said as she waggled the knife in her free hand.

To her surprise, that grin of his returned. "I'm afraid not." He said, and as she watched him she realized he wasn't looking at her, but over her shoulder.

She heard a set of heavy footfalls behind her. She hadn't caught them coming closer in the heat of the fight, especially with the noise of the engine. She turned her head just in time to see a massive metal fist coming for her, and then a flash of pain in her skull sent everything cascading to black.

* * *

Piastol's head swam as she slowly regained consciousness. Her head was pounding, her vision was blurry, and something cold was pressing against the part of her head that hurt the most.

"...an't be serious, boy. She's dangerous." An older man's voice.

"Yeah! She tried to kill you!" A girl's voice. It sounded familiar.

"But she didn't, did she?" This voice was closer, and she realized after a moment it was the man she'd fought earlier.

Her vision slowly came back to her, and she realized he was kneeling in front of her, pressing something to the back of her head. She blinked several times as she stared at him. He gave her a quizzical look before turning to the others. "Hey! I think she's awake, now." He said before turning back to her. "How're you feeling?" He said with that same, irritating grin.

She tried to punch him, and found that she could not. Her arms were bound, and so were her legs. Someone knew how to tie a good knot, she reflected as she realized she was well and truly trapped. "Rot in hell…" She growled as she stared him down.

The young man chuckled. "You're a chipper one, aren't you?" He said as he stood up and took a few steps back. The cold faded from the back of her head as he left, and immediately that part of her head began throbbing a little more painfully. She sighed as she did her best to ignore it.

"Why'd you try to kill Vyse, huh?" The girl snapped at him. Now that Piastol got a clear look at her, she recognized this girl as the one she'd bumped into on Sailor's island a few days ago. Was she really one of the ones who had escaped Valua? It seemed like a joke to her.

"Because he's a pirate." Piastol said flatly as she stared the girl down.

"What?" The girl said incredulously. "That's not a reason! There are plenty of pirates in mid ocean."

"I think I've heard of this girl." The older man said. He was wearing a green shirt and pants, and he looked like the next step beyond grizzled. She suspected that his mechanical arm had been what put her out earlier. "They call her the angel of death. She's been goin' around mid ocean for years now, killin' pirates left and right. Doesn't seem to matter whether they're blue rogues or black pirates."

"The angel of death, huh?" The young man, who she assumed must be Vyse, said. "What's your story?"

She stared at him. She hadn't really gotten a great look at him in the dark of the ship. He'd covered up the sleeveless shirt with a blue coat adorned with red straps. His messy hair was dark red, and…

Piastol's eyes widened as she fixated on the scar on his cheek. The hair. The clothes, the eyepatch… and the scar. Add in his age, and it all fit together perfectly. She froze up as she stared at that scar.

"Uhh… Angel of death? Whatever your name is? You in there?" Vyse said as he knelt down again to wave a hand in her face.

"Get away from me!" She spat as she thrashed violently against her bindings.

"Woah, there!" Vyse said as she backed away a step. "You really need to learn how to relax. I get the feeling you haven't been calm in years."

Piastol grit her teeth as she watched him. "You don't get to lecture me." She growled. "Not after what you did to me."

The red-headed girl turned to look at Vyse with a skeptical expression. "Vyse… did you do something before I got there…?"

Vyse blinked as he turned towards his friend, his cheeks looking a little red. "What? No! She attacked me and I fought back. That's all that happened."

The memories were flashing through her head like lightning now. Piastol's breathing was a little unsteady. She'd finally found him, and he'd captured her. "I'll never forget what you did to me… to my family…" She said, glaring at him with hatred in her eyes.

Vyse looked lost. "What did I do to your family? I don't think I've ever even met you before."

"You and your filthy pirate friends _killed them!_ " Piastol screamed. She wished she could tear herself free of her bindings and get her revenge right there.

"What?!" Vyse said in disbelief. "I've never killed anyone's family!"

"That's a bold lie, coming from a pirate." Piastol said, scowling at him.

The redhead shook her head emphatically. "Blue rogues don't do that kind of thing. It's just not our way."

Piastol laughed bitterly. "Blue rogues, black pirates. You're all the same. It doesn't matter what you call yourselves."

Vyse rubbed tiredly at his forehead with one hand. "I don't think we're going to get through to her…" He said.

"Let's just toss her overboard and be done with it." The older man said.

"We can't do that! That's horrible!" The redhead said indignantly.

"Do whatever you please. If this is all the justice there is in Arcadia, I'm done with this world." Piastol said.

Vyse sighed as he knelt in front of her again. "Okay, look. I don't want to kill you, even if Drachma here is really in favor of it. I'm willing to let you go, on the sole condition that you promise me you won't try to attack me again when I do so. Got it?"

Piastol tensed. She'd expected to die here. She wasn't quite sure how to respond, or if she even wanted to accept this pirate's mercy. Still… it was another chance to kill him later. "Fine." She said, avoiding looking him in the eye. "I swear that I will not attack you if you let me go. I will return to my ship and leave you in peace."

Vyse grinned at her, and she had to wonder just how naive he was as he glanced back at his fellows. "Sounds good to me!"

"This is moronic, boy. She hates pirates. Even if she doesn't attack you now, she'll be back to try again later." Drachma chided him.

"Then we'll just capture her again until she learns her lesson." the redhead said with a grin to match Vyse's.

Piastol looked back and forth between the two younger pirates in disbelief, until Vyse disappeared behind her to begin undoing her binds. The ropes restraining her fell away a minute later, and she slowly got to her feet, her arms and legs aching from being held in place for so long.

"You're welcome." Vyse said from behind her.

She whirled around to face him before taking a step back. He seemed to be staring at her expectantly. Did he really expect…? She smirked nastily at him. "Thank you." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She'd turned back towards her ship when a thought occurred to her. She whirled back to face Vyse with a glare. "Wait. What did you do with Deathhound?"

Vyse blinked for a moment before smiling. "Oh, the mutt? Fina hit him with a slipara spell. He's been fast asleep for awhile now." He explained.

Piastol breathed a sigh of relief, and for a moment the tension faded from her. She shivered as she realized she'd felt genuine gratitude to her captors, even if it was just for a moment. "Very well, then…" She said, turning to head towards her ship once more.

A young woman in a white dress stepped off her ship and onto the deck of the larger one, passing her by as she did so. The woman's green eyes followed her until she hopped the distance back to her ship. True to Vyse's word, Deathhound was slumbering peacefully on the deck, by the main mast.

She turned around to find Vyse and crew all watching her curiously. She didn't know what to make of what had just transpired. Pirates, in her experience, didn't have the word "mercy" in their vocabulary. These ones had just demonstrated it twice. She scowled as she chased away the doubts that had begun to gnaw at her determination.

"Vyse…" She said as she gripped the railing of her ship's deck.

"Yeah?" The young man said, smiling at her.

"I will be back to challenge you again someday. And on that day, know that Piastol is the one who sent you to your grave." She said.

Vyse's smile only grew wider. "I'll keep the name in mind." He said. "See you, Piastol."

She stared at him in disbelief for a long moment before turning and hurrying into her cabin with a huff. She pulled her ship away as quick as she could. She wanted to get that big green ship out of her sight as soon as possible.

Still, even as she lost sight of it, it and its passengers stayed in her thoughts. She'd finally found the man she'd been hunting for seven years - the one she was sure had been responsible for the deaths of her family and the destruction of her old life.

So why, then, didn't he seem like any of those things?


	7. Breaking Point

Piastol roamed Sailor's isle aimlessly as she considered the task before her - she needed to defeat Vyse to avenge her family. No, more than that - she needed to kill him. She reminded herself of that over and over again, and wondered why that one detail made her uncomfortable. She'd killed plenty of pirates before. Vyse was nothing special.

But the more she considered it, the more she had to admit that he _was_ special, albeit in ways she didn't fully understand. He lacked the obvious bloodthirstiness of most of her targets, and then there was the matter of his letting her go. Nothing about his attitude made sense to her in the context of his chosen profession. He was an anomaly, and Piastol didn't like it.

She found herself at Lawrence's hangout around the back side of the Sailor's Guild. He spent almost all of his time back there, waiting for interested clients and brooding about… something. Sometimes she suspected he just wanted to look cool. Still, as she approached the dark-haired man leaning against the building's back wall, she had to admit he was imposing.

"Hey, Lawrence." She greeted him as she drew near.

Lawrence glanced up only slightly at the sound of her voice. "Piastol. Do you need something?" He asked her curtly.

She thought about it, but she couldn't really think of a job for him at the moment. "Just some company." She admitted.

Lawrence raised an eyebrow at her. "You've got better options than me."

Piastol smiled a little as she leaned her back on the wall just like he did. "Maybe, but I came to you."

She thought she could see a faint smile on his face, too, but it was hard to tell with the way his hair hung in his face. "If you insist." He said, but he didn't add anything else.

They stayed like that in silence for a few minutes. Piastol still didn't know exactly what she was going to do next. She settled for small talk. "How's Daniel?" She asked.

Lawrence took a moment to reply to her question. "He's fine. I think he works as a fisherman now. I haven't seen him in a few months."

Piastol sighed as she tried to read his facial expression. "I still feel a little bad about the effect I had on him." She said.

"He's fine. Just as long as you don't bump into each other again." Lawrence finally turned his head to look at her. "What's got you reflecting all of a sudden?"

Piastol scowled at some of the ships passing in the distance as she recalled her encounter with Vyse. "I found some of the pirates who burned the Aquila down."

Lawrence's eyes widened, ever so slightly. "Did you kill them?" He asked, a hint of apprehension entering his voice.

Piastol suppressed a shiver as she replied. "No. They captured me. Then they let me go."

She didn't hear a reply from Lawrence right away, and she could guess he was surprised. "Huh. Blue rogues?" He guessed, eventually.

She turned to glare at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Lawrence shrugged, evidently over his surprise by now. "Blue rogues don't kill, for the most part. Are you sure you got the right people?"

"I'm certain." Piastol snarled. "I'd recognize them anywhere." She fell silent for a moment as she brooded on her failure, before adding, "I plan to challenge them to a fight eventually. I need to get stronger if I'm going to kill them this time."

Lawrence sighed. "This might not be the best of ideas, Piastol." He chided her.

Piastol looked away from him and crossed her arms, rejecting his advice. "You know mid ocean better than I do. Where can I go to improve myself as a fighter?"

She heard Lawrence push off the wall and pace around beside her. "Well, not many places in mid ocean will challenge you anymore. But if you're really determined to push your limits…" He trailed off expectantly.

Piastol looked back at him with curiosity lighting her eyes. "I am."

Lawrence frowned at her as he nodded. "There's a fighting tournament they hold in the coliseum in Valua. Apparently the best of the best fight there. It's coming up soon, too."

A grin slowly spread over Piastol's lips. "I knew you were good for something. What do I owe you for your help?"

Lawrence stared at her for a second before shaking his head. "Just don't get yourself killed."

Piastol felt some of the wind go out of her sails. Lawrence probably deserved better from her after the years she'd been working with him. "Lawrence…" She said, her voice markedly softer than before. The man raised an eyebrow at her. "Thanks for helping me out all this time. I know you don't approve of my methods, but you always backed me up."

He shrugged at her. "And you always paid me."

Piastol smirked at him. "I'm well aware that you only charge me half of what you do your other clients."

She caught another faint smile from him. "Maybe I'm a little fond of Deathhound." He admitted.

Piastol chuckled as she pushed away from the wall. "Excellent. Then you can take care of him while I'm in Valua."

"I'm not a caretaker." He protested, though there wasn't much conviction behind it.

"Think of him like a guard dog on loan, then." She said with a wink.

"Fine." Lawrence conceded with a sigh, his shoulders falling. "But you better watch your own back. You may've grown up there, but Valua treats outsiders very differently from nobles."

Piastol's smile faded as she turned away from him. She'd learned that well enough when she'd made her first few attempts to return home, only to find her family suddenly unwelcome and disgraced. "I know." She replied.

Lawrence watched her go. Then he settled back against the wall to wait on potential clients again. He had a business to run, after all.

* * *

 _A few days later_

A sleek red ship cut through the skies above the Nasr desert, steering clear of the popular trade routes. Few had observed its passage, and none who did would have the gall to confront it. Though it was not the most powerful ship in the Valuan armada, it was nonetheless intimidating to the drifters and merchants it passed by along its way.

Its crimson shadow fell upon the seemingly endless sands of the desert, its destination now clear - the swirling storm that permanently occupied the easternmost reaches of the wastes. The bow touched the whirling sandstorm, and little by little, the grand vessel disappeared into the gale. Within minutes it could no longer be seen.

And yet, despite the storm, it navigated with purpose, its course never wavering. The bridge of the ship clamored with activity, but to an outsider it might almost seem like it was magnetized to its eventual destination.

That destination loomed into view, right on time. The great pyramid of the temple of Pyrynn looked utterly unscathed despite its years of exposure to the howling gales surrounding it. Upon closer inspection, one would see that those swirling sands never even touched it, stopping short always at the outskirts of the temple grounds.

The red ship pulled to a stop above the temple. Minutes passed, and then a smaller vessel deployed from one of its flanks, descending quickly through the storm and to the terrace in front of the temple proper. It touched down quietly, and two figures disembarked.

The first passenger was a man, tall, clad in a light set of red armor that matched the hue of the ship. It was accented with golden details, and encompassed within a flowing cloak. He drew down his hood and removed his face mask to reveal a stern visage with the dark skin of a Nasr native. His dark hair was cut short and decidedly unstyled, and it matched his stiff posture and cool expression perfectly.

"It appears the reports were all correct, then. I could believe the location, but to think that the sands do not even reach the temple…" he muttered aloud, the awe in his words not quite reaching his tone.

"It's something, alright. Everything I hoped it would be and more." The voice came from the second passenger - a woman, also clad in a flowing, cloaked hood. Underneath, she wore a close-fitting red uniform. The man turned his attention to her as she stepped up to stand alongside him. "Let's just hope it also presents an interesting challenge, eh?"

The man seemed unperturbed by the woman's tone, and he began heading for the temple at a brisk pace. His companion moved to follow moments later. "Your recklessness will do us little good on this mission." He chided her. She scoffed from under her hood, before starting to remove it. The man moved forward to inspect the small dais at the center of the terrace leading up to the temple. "This is where Recumen would be summoned." He noted.

His gaze flickered to the woman again as she stood alongside him. With her hood down, he could at last see her long, fiery red hair. Her green eyes sparkled as they took in the odd indentation in the dais. "The power to change the world…" she said softly to no one in particular. She turned her head to look in his direction, her eyes filled with renewed purpose. A smile spread across her lips. "Let's move. We've got a lot of ground to cover." With that, she set off.

The man stared at her back as she headed off towards the massive staircase leading into the pyramid. The tiniest of smirks graced his lips. "As you wish, _Admiral._ "

* * *

Narissa had been living in Maramba for almost her whole life. It wasn't as large or impressive as Nasrad, but it was the primary center for trade in the western reaches of Nasr, and for better or worse, the vibrant trade town was her home. She knew the streets well, and she wove her way through the loose crowds of people towards her destination with considerable practice.

She didn't look particularly Nasrean, and never had. Her skin was paler than the usual, and her dirty blonde hair made her stand out rather than blend in. Were she not in a trade town accustomed to outsiders, she might've turned heads. But instead, the people around her ignored her as she carried on. She was grateful for that.

A little bell jingled as she pushed open the door to a little shop off the main street. She stepped up to the counter and was greeted with a familiar face. "Nari! Back again so soon?" The young woman manning the storefront smiled at her.

Narissa smiled sheepishly. "Afraid so. We're in need of more gentum…" she admitted, before grabbing a pouch from her hip and withdrawing a few small coins to place upon the countertop.

The shopkeeper laughed. "Six Moons! You and your father go through spices faster than even the Nasultan!" Narissa rubbed awkwardly at the back of her head as the shopkeeper briefly disappeared around a corner, before returning with a bottle full of a brownish powder. "Is this enough? I could fill a barrel if you prefer." She said with a wink.

Narissa shook her head frantically. "No, that's quite alright! That'll be more than enough." She accepted the bottle from the woman across the counter, before sticking it in one of the bags slung around her hips along with the rest of the things she'd bought that day. "Thank you, really." She said as she hurried for the door.

"Do come again." The shopkeeper called as she collected her coins.

Narissa breathed a sigh of relief. She'd never been great with people. Doing errands for her father was always stressful. She stayed to one side of the street as she considered what to do next. She could go straight home, but… she didn't want to, not just yet. Instead, she reached into the bag at her hip yet again, fumbling about until she withdrew a small deck of cards.

She held them close to her chest as she walked for a bit, before lifting them to eye level and concentrating. If she focused hard enough, she could feel the power of the red moon resonating through her, guiding her hands. She spread the little deck out before her and picked two cards, seemingly at random, before turning them over.

"The silver moon and… the rogue?" She muttered in mild confusion. She still wasn't very good at figuring out what the omens actually meant. She was halfway through guessing when she bumped into someone. She let out a startled squeak as she stumbled forward, dropping her cards before she could catch herself on a nearby wall. She vaguely heard a masculine voice grunt, followed by the sounds of someone tumbling through a stack of merchandise.

Her eyes shot open wide, and she spun around to see who she'd hit. A young man in a blue jacket with dark red hair sat on the ground in a pile of disheveled boxes, likely scattered by his fall. "I'm so sorry!" She said frantically as she hurried over to him. "I wasn't looking where I was going, and-"

"It's alright!" The young man reassured her with a slightly shaky smile before hauling himself to his feet. She noticed as she got a better look at him that he wore an odd-looking glass lens over one eye. "I just need to, uh, clean this up…" he muttered, quickly arranging the scattered boxes into a haphazard pile. "There, good as new. You don't think anyone will notice, do you?" He asked her with an amused look.

She stifled a giggle. There was no way anyone _wouldn't_ notice it, but she wasn't about to chastise him after the accident she herself had caused. "Nnno, I don't think they will." She said. "Sorry again…" she muttered, casting her gaze to the floor.

"Don't worry about it! Vyse would've found something to trip over sooner or later." A girl's voice. She turned her head towards the source to find a girl in a yellow outfit with oversized orange pigtails, grinning at her. She glanced at the young man to find him rolling his eyes.

"I believe you dropped these…" Narissa turned around to find yet another girl standing behind her, this one clad all in white with pale blonde hair. She looked alien, even in Maramba, but Nari's eyes were more focused on the deck of cards in her hands.

"My cards! I almost forgot, I…" had she picked them up off the ground for her? "...you shouldn't have." She said with a weak smile as she accepted them.

The white-clad girl gave her a wide-eyed stare."I shouldn't have?" She seemed genuinely concerned that she'd done something wrong.

The redhead chimed in again before Narissa could. "She means she's really grateful, Fina." She explained.

The girl in white seemed to calm down, offering a smile and a nod. Narissa looked between her, the redhead, and the young man in blue. "Are you three traveling together? I'm truly terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you…"

The man shook his head. "Nonsense. We were just wandering around, anyways. Do you live here? What's your name?"

She tilted her head to one side. It was not often that strangers simply wandered around Maramba without purpose. "My name is Narissa. I've lived in Maramba for years." She blinked once as a thought occurred to her. "Do you need a guide around town?"

The young man's smile grew. "Only if it's not too much trouble."

She shook her head. "Of course not. It's the least I can do, especially after…"

The redhead clapped her on the shoulder. "We already told you not to worry about it!"

Narissa gave her an awkward smile and a nod. "Of course."

"Anyways, I'm Vyse, and this is Aika and Fina." The young man explained. "So, where does our tour begin?"

Narissa took a slow breath as she simultaneously took in their names and considered her options. Of all the things she'd considered doing today, playing tour guide was not among them. "Okay. First and foremost, I need to drop some things off at my house. Follow me!"

* * *

Valua was as gloomy as it had ever been. The constant storms driven by the yellow moon loomed over lower city like a blanket of pure night, broken only by the occasional flash of lightning.

Piastol preferred mid ocean. Valua may have been her original home, but even when her father had been alive, most of her time had been spent aboard the Aquila, away from the ever-present gloom of the capital.

Upper city had better accommodations, but it also had more guards, not to mention greater expense. She wasn't here for a holiday; she'd settle for the slums of lower city while she waited for the tournament to begin. Entry had been surprisingly easy. They'd readily accepted her fake name and credentials. They were either stupid, or they just didn't care. Maybe they didn't feel they needed to.

Still, she had a day before the tournament would begin. She wandered through lower city, looking for something to do. She'd exchanged her usual battle leathers for her cloak again, and left her scythe on the ship in favor of her knives. She didn't want to arouse suspicion, after all. Eventually, after wandering down a cramped alleyway, she came to a bar. _A drink is as good a way to pass the time as any,_ she mused.

The interior was dirty and cramped. Miserable-looking patrons huddled in corner seats or against the wall. Only one person sat at the bar. She sat next to him. He was the only one there who didn't look like he'd stink. The bartender, a large and gruff-looking man, turned to her with a flat look. "Ain't you a little young to be in here?" She fixed him with an icy glare, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. What'll you have?"

Piastol leaned back as she considered. She could have her usual mur loqua, but a memory was tickling at the back of her mind. Something father always used to drink. They'd never had it at sailor's isle - maybe they had it here. "Do you have gilmera loqua? You know, the golden-colored stuff?"

The bartender arched an eyebrow at her. "Shit, I _might_. Let me check." He said, before heading for a cabinet in the back. Piastol watched him go, expectantly. That was a curious reaction.

"You're not from lower city, are you?" The man next to her asked. She turned her head to glare at him.

"None of your business." She snapped. The bartender returned just then, carrying a bottle half-filled with golden liquid.

"You're in luck, kid. I can't remember the last time I stocked this stuff." He explained as he poured some out into a serviceably-clean cup. "That'll be 800 gold."

Piastol grimaced. She hadn't expected it to be quite so pricy. She grabbed 8 large coins from her pouch before sliding them to the bartender. "Thanks." She muttered, before taking her glass and bringing it to her lips. It tasted light, and vaguely sweet. It wasn't like the loqua she was used to. As she set the glass down and swallowed, she noted that it had a decidedly bitter aftertaste. Odd. She stared at the golden liquid for several long moments.

She could feel eyes on her. The man next to her was staring at her. She gave him a sidelong glance, assessing him. He wore a hood, much like hers. Underneath it she could see striking blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a handsome face. It made her wary. "What is it?" She demanded curtly.

He smiled under his hood. "Sorry. You just remind me of someone I used to know. She and I used to meet here."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not her."

He looked away. "I know."

She drummed her fingers on the table, feeling irritable. She took another sip of her drink. This guy was confusing her. Eventually, she had to ask. "How did you know that I wasn't from here?"

He didn't look at her. "Gilmera loqua." He said simply, as if that explained everything.

"Eh?" She prodded his shoulder with a fingertip. "I'm pretty sure you can explain better than _that_."

She heard him sigh. He turned back to her with a flat expression on his face. "It's made from yellow loquat berries, which are extremely uncommon these days. Thus, it's expensive. That, coupled with the low alcohol content, means folks in lower city have little reason to buy it." He stared at her. "It's a fad of the upper class."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do I look upper class to you?"

He gave her a searching look. "Not now, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed. It sounded bitter. "Who am I to judge someone's status from their appearance?" She didn't understand the joke. Maybe she wasn't meant to.

"You're a creep." She said flatly. He didn't reply. That bothered her. She weighed the pros and cons of continuing their conversation. "You're not from around here, either."

"Am I so obvious?" He asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

She nodded. "Yeah. And familiar, too. Who are you?"

She saw his eyes widen, ever so slightly, before he turned away. "Nobody you'd know." He muttered defensively. "Probably a case of mistaken identity."

She stared at him intently, hoping she could somehow figure out who he was. But nothing came to her, and eventually she sighed and turned her attention back to her glass. "Whatever."

She could practically sense his relief as she gave up trying to identify him. He turned back to the counter, and together they shared the silence for a minute or two before he spoke up again. "Why are you here, then?" He asked her.

She didn't look at him as she gently swirled her loqua around in her glass. "To fight in that stupid tournament."

He set an elbow on the counter before resting his cheek against his hand, peering at her over his fingertips. "Yeah? It's quite dangerous, you know. Some of the best members of the Valuan military participate in it."

Piastol scoffed. "I can handle myself. I'm strong. And I need to get stronger still. This is how I do it."

The dimples around his eyes told her he was smiling. "Yeah? And does this would-be champion next to me have a name?"

"Emilia." She said simply.

"Henri." He replied. "I'll be in the stands. Maybe I'll get the chance to cheer you on."

She had not expected a show of solidarity from a stranger in a bar. She wasn't about to turn it down, however. Not like she had anything to lose for it. "Alright. I'll hold you to that."

Henri was definitely smiling now as he left his hand fall away, gesturing to her glass. "Hell - if you win, I'll buy you a drink."

* * *

Evening was setting in over Maramba when eventually Vyse and company returned to Narissa's home, having spent most of the day after their first visit wandering around town.

The four of them sat around a low table in the foyer, the remnants of a meal still scattered in front of them. "I don't understand how Nasreans can tolerate such hot food when it's already so hot outside…" Aika complained.

"Aika! You're being rude!" Vyse chastised her, before turning to Narissa. "Is she being rude? I'll bet that was rude."

Narissa smiled, amused, and shook her head. "Visitors to Nasr often struggle with the cuisine at first. It's an acquired taste…" she'd gotten a bit more comfortable with the trio over the course of the day, but still knew precious little about them. She'd been focused on being a good host and guide. "So… I have to ask." Vyse and Aika looked at her expectantly, and suddenly she felt considerably less inclined to voice her question. "If you're not traders… why _are_ you here?" Her voice came out quieter than she'd have liked.

Vyse looked uncomfortable. It was the first time she'd seen that sort of expression on him. It looked out of place. "That's… kinda supposed to be a secret." He replied.

Narissa's face fell. "I see…" she wasn't sure why she was so disappointed to be kept out of the loop. A stranger's business was none of her own. That was how it always was, living here.

Aika's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I mean… we don't exactly have much to lose here, do we? We're already stranded."

Vyse frowned at her. "Yes, but…"

"But what?" Aika furrowed her brow. "We need help. Maybe she can help!" She leaned closer to Vyse, speaking into his ear. Narissa thought she caught the words, "It's not like she…"

Vyse's expression turned sour. "Yeah, I know." Aika looked a little wounded as she pulled back. Vyse turned his attention to Fina, who'd stayed politely quiet for most of the conversation. "What do you think, Fina? It's your mission."

Fina stared at him with wide eyes, as if she hadn't expected to have her opinion asked. Her gaze swiveled to Narissa, then back to Vyse, before a smile spread over her lips. "I like her. I think we can trust her." Narissa felt a small rush of gratitude at her response.

Vyse sighed. "Alright." He stared at Narissa, and his expression was surprisingly serious. "Have you heard of the moon crystals before?"

Narissa tried to keep the immediate reaction off her face. "Uhm… vaguely. Can you refresh my memory?" She inquired sheepishly.

Vyse gave her a searching look, but Fina spoke up before he could say anything. "They're ancient, powerful stones attuned to the energies of each of the six moons. I'm on a mission to retrieve them… but I don't know exactly where they are."

Aika nodded to her explanation. "Valua is also trying to grab them. We don't want that to happen, so we've been in a bit of a hurry…"

"But… we're without a ship, or a clue as to where to start looking for the crystals. We know the red one is somewhere in the Nasr desert, but beyond that…" Vyse shrugged. "It's a lot of ground to cover."

Narissa looked back and forth between Vyse and Aika, then at Fina, the wheels spinning in her head. Things were starting to make a bit more sense. "You… wouldn't happen to be the pirates that broke out of Valua, would you?"

Vyse's eyes widened. "The news is even all the way out here?" He nodded. "Yeah, that's us."

Narissa suppressed a shiver that threatened to run down her spine. "I… I see." She took a shaky, nervous breath, staring at her lap. "I might be able to help you." She looked up at Vyse with a glimmer of determination in her eyes. "I don't want Valua getting more powerful, either. I have a ship… well, my father's ship, that you can use. I don't know _exactly_ where the crystal is, though…"

"That's already more than we expected the get!" Aika laughed.

"Thank you very much, Narissa." Fina said with a bow of her head.

Narissa smiled awkwardly. "Please, you guys are heroes. It's the least I could do." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "And please, call me Nari."

Vyse nodded, grinning. "Duly noted, Nari. Let's leave tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yes, please. It's getting late." She agreed. "You can stay here tonight, if you like. There's room enough."

"Are you sure? We've got enough coin to stay at the inn." Aika seemed uncertain.

Narissa shook her head. "Really, it's fine."

She caught Fina smiling broadly at her. "You are very kind, Nari."

Narissa smiled despite the burning that instilled in her cheeks. "I'm just doing what I think is right."

* * *

Shuffling footsteps echoed through stone halls, disturbing years of dust and silence. The temple of Pyrynn had not changed much at all since the last time it was intruded upon.

The dark-skinned man led the way, with his red-haired, uniformed companion behind him. They carefully wove their way over a narrow walkway above a chasm. "We should be getting close." He called back to her.

"About damn time. 'Labyrinthine' doesn't even begin to describe this place." She muttered darkly.

"Have patience. Our mission will soon be over." He chided. Together they turned a corner and found themselves in a hallway again.

"It's hot and dusty and my feet hurt. I'm better with combat and subterfuge deployments and you know it." She snapped.

He smiled to himself, glad that she couldn't see it from behind him. "That is why I am here. That is why I am always here."

"You're smiling that stupid smile again, aren't you?"

His expression quickly smoothed out into one of perfect neutrality before he looked back at her over his shoulder. "Nonsense. I would never smile at your petulance."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's a yes."

He didn't respond to that as he set his hand on a loose section of wall, pushing lightly on it. "We're here." He said calmly as he pushed the hidden door outwards to reveal a large chamber behind it.

The frustration quickly disappeared from her face, and she rushed past him into the chamber. "Watch out for traps…" he muttered in futility as she raced to the end of the room. To her good fortune, nothing untoward happened to her on her way, and he followed her moments later.

"Where is it?" Her voice echoed throughout the chamber. She was speaking loudly, despite how close he was.

"Excuse me?" He arched an eyebrow at her question as he walked around her to get a look at the pedestal at the end of the room.

It was distinctly empty of the crystal they had been promised. "Where is it?!" She asked again. "It's supposed to be be here, isn't it?"

The man nodded. "That's correct." His face wrinkled with concern. "This is… problematic."

The woman rubbed at her forehead with one hand, looking around the room and seeing nothing. "It's not here. Someone got it before we did. What do we do?"

The man shrugged. "We report our findings. It's all we can do."

She crossed her arms, staring at him. "The admiral won't be pleased."

He smirked that little smirk of his. "That's her problem."

* * *

Aika couldn't sleep. She'd had bouts of insomnia that came and went ever since the attack on pirate isle. And too often, when she _did_ fall asleep, she'd dream of men in faceless black armor coming to take away everyone she cared about. Either that, or she'd dream that they failed to escape Valua. Captured, they'd end up suffering the same fate they'd saved captain Dyne from.

She hadn't talked about it with anyone yet, instead opting to ignore her exhaustion and keep on smiling for her friends. So many nights she'd considered waking Vyse, venting to him about her worries. But it felt so… childish. It reminded her of her childhood, when she'd always go to him with her problems. It was okay back then… but now he had bigger things to worry about. She turned onto her side to peer at him as he slept, a few feet away from her. _Not tonight_ , she thought.

Still, she wasn't getting any sleep right now. She slowly stood up, casting aside her blanket with a sigh. She needed a walk. Quiet steps took her out of the guest room and into the foyer where they'd had dinner earlier. It was dark and empty now. She stared at the table, remembering the cozy, comfortable conversations they'd had. Why did she stress herself so? Why couldn't she be carefree in the face of danger, like Vyse?

She heard a faint sound from above, on the roof. Footsteps. She glanced up at the ceiling. Was there a way up there? She decided she may as well check - she might even catch a would-be intruder.

A few minutes of fumbling in the dark uncovered a ladder in the back of the house, leading up to a hatch embedded in the ceiling. She climbed it as quietly as she could, opening the hatch and stepping out onto the roof, into the cool night air. She looked around, seeing nothing until she turned around. She felt a small wave of relief as she realized the footsteps had just been Narissa's. Their young host was facing away from her, evidently staring up at the red moon.

She almost considered leaving her to it - but she had a few things she'd wanted to talk about, anyways. Now might be her best chance. She strolled forward quietly before raising a hand in greeting as she called to the girl. "Nari?"

She saw Narissa tense up, and she quickly whirled around with her hands before her. Aika was a little taken aback by the sheer speed of her reaction. "Oh! Aika! I didn't think you'd be up so late…" she smiled weakly.

Aika tilted her head to one side. "I couldn't sleep." She explained. "Are you alright?"

Narissa seemed surprised. "Me? I'm fine." A frown creased her pretty features. "I'm sorry you can't seem to sleep. I hope you're not feeling stressed…"

Aika shrugged as she crossed the rest of the flat stone rooftop to stand next to Nari, near the railing that surrounded them. "No, it's… nothing." Aika lied.

Narissa brushed a stray lock of sandy hair out of her face. "Well, you're welcome to stay out here as long as you like. I ought to head back inside." She turned to leave.

Aika reached out, her fingers brushing the girl's arm. "Wait. Can we talk?"

Narissa froze up for a second before turning around with a nod. "Sure."

Aika returned her smile, going quiet as she considered what she wanted to say. "Why are you so keen on helping us?" She finally asked.

Narissa's smile turned sad. "Is goodwill alone not enough of a reason?"

Aika flinched. "I didn't mean…"

Narissa shook her head. "It's fine. You barely know me… I can understand your caution." She heaved a weary sigh. "I don't think you understand just how much you three are heroes to the people here."

At the confusion in Aika's expression, she continued. "The war with Valua cost everyone in Nasr something. I wasn't even born when it happened, but from the stories my father told me…" she looked grim as her gaze tracked back up to the moon hanging in the sky above them. "My family would be a lot bigger now, had it not happened. Had Valua not aggressed…"

Aika felt a wave of guilt. "Nari… I'm sorry."

Narissa shook her head quickly. "Don't be. It's not your fault at all." She smiled again, and it was more sincere this time. "Even if you weren't heroes, though, I'd help you. You're people in need… and I was raised to help people who need help."

"You're a good person, Nari." Aika couldn't think of anything else to say to that.

Narissa giggled at that. "I'm glad you think so." Her gaze was suddenly intent upon the red-headed pirate. "Think you might be willing to tell me what's on your mind, now?"

Aika stared at her, then hastily looked away. "I don't know…."

Narissa offered her a sympathetic look. "It might help."

Aika suddenly felt very weary of the world. She set her hands on the railing of the roof as she stared out at the city around them. "Okay. I'm scared."

Narissa nodded. "Scared of what?"

Aika pursed her lips in thought. "I'm not sure." She turned around to face Nari before leaning lightly on the railing. "This whole mess started when the Valuans raided my home town. They captured almost everyone there and hauled them off to the capital to be executed." She smiled humorlessly. "The funny thing was, we'd been attacking Valuan ships for years. The only thing that made them come after us was that this time around, we had Fina."

Narissa looked perplexed. "They'll ignore you for ages while you attack their own men, but a single, harmless girl is the tipping point?" She shook her head. "Valuans are strange."

Aika laughed a little at that. "I know, right?" She glanced up at the red moon, looming over them like a silent observer to their conversation. "It's less about what Fina can do, and more about what she knows. For her knowledge, I imagine they'll chase use to the ends of Arcadia." She looked back down and fixed her eyes on Narissa. "That's what scares me."

Narissa met her gaze with one of understanding. "You're afraid the Valuans will catch you."

Aika shivered, then nodded. "Yeah. I suppose it's never been this real to me before. In the past, we could attack them almost with impunity. Now…" she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. "When we went into Valua, I expected I was going there to die. I told myself I shared Vyse's optimism, but I know now that that was a lie. I was just hoping to die fighting."

Narissa didn't seem to know what to say. At her silence, Aika continued. "But I don't think that's how it'll end, if Valua catches up to us. They'll capture us. And…" she set her face in her hands. "I don't want to think about what they'd do to me. To Vyse… to Fina…" she was getting lost in the nightmares again. Her eyes felt wet.

And then, a pair of arms wrapped around her and hugged her. It was gentle, ready to pull away at a moments' notice. But it was warm, and soft, and Aika felt herself starting to calm down. "It's going to be okay, Aika." Narissa's voice was as gentle as her embrace. She hugged back after a beat of hesitation.

"Thank you." Aika managed, her voice rawer than she'd have liked. She reluctantly pulled away from the hug. Narissa let her go. "I think l needed that."

Narissa smiled at her, but as Aika stared intently at her, she thought it looked a little broken. "I know how it feels to be afraid." Nari said. Aika nodded, feeling a little numb, and Narissa gave her a searching look. "Here. Come downstairs with me. I have something that might help distract you."

They ended up in the foyer again, and Narissa quickly gestured for Aika to take a seat at the table. The redhead did so silently, and a moment later Narissa set a cup down in front of her and filled it with tea from a kettle. "Not going to be hot anymore, but I can't really go brewing another pot at this hour." Aika let out a breath of laughter.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem." Nari said, before sitting next to her with a cup of her own. "Now." She said, as Aika took a sip from her glass, "Have you ever heard of tarot?"

Aika raised an eyebrow. "Can't say that I have." She admitted.

Narissa nodded, before producing the deck of cards she'd been carrying earlier, back at the marketplace. "You remember these?"

Aika squinted at them for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. You dropped them back when we bumped into you."

Narissa smiled. "Good! These are tarot cards. They're used for divination, which is the practice of reading the future."

Aika looked skeptical. "Can you actually tell the future?"

Nari wilted a bit. "Well… not really. Not yet, at least. But there's a woman in town, Khalifa. She's an amazing fortune-teller, well known for the accuracy of her predictions." Her smile turned sheepish. Aika thought it was starting to look very familiar on her. "I've been trying to get her to teach me for a while now."

The redhead offered her a reassuring grin. "Just show me what you _can_ do, then."

That got a more positive reaction from Nari. "Right!" She spread the cards out on the table, face-down. Then she closed her eyes, muttering something under her breath. Aika could vaguely hear her saying something about the moons. Eventually, one of Nari's hands moved, and flipped over one card, then a second. She opened her eyes.

Aika leaned over the table to peer at the cards that had been flipped. "'The Maelstrom', and 'The World'?" She read off the cards.

Nari stared at the cards with a serious expression, her eyes flitting between one card and then the other. She was silent for so long that Aika began to grow concerned. "So… what does that mean?" She finally asked.

Narissa blinked, then turned her attention to Aika. "Oh!" She said, surprise evident in her tone. "I, uhm… I don't know. I'd have to consult the manual." She admitted. "I just like thinking about what it _could_ mean."

Aika rested her chin in her hands as she leaned on the table, grinning. "Then it's not really fortune-telling at all, is it?"

Nari's cheeks grew pink, and she shook her head. "Not yet, at least… I'm getting there, though! One day I'll be able to do it!"

Aika found herself giggling. "Well, I have to give you points for trying." She reached out with one hand to pat one of Narissa's. "You've definitely helped to brighten my mood."

The girl practically beamed with pride, taking Aika's hand in hers and squeezing. "That's all I needed to hear."

They stared at one another for a long moment, neither one quite wanting to look away. Eventually, however, Aika coughed and tore her gaze away, staring at the table. "I'm… starting to feel sleepy."

Nari nodded, deciding stare to at her hands instead. "That's good! You need to get your rest. I should head to bed, too. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, after all."

Aika nodded absently, before glancing at Nari again. "Thanks again. I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me." She said as she stood up.

Narissa rose as well in her wake, collecting their cups. "It was my pleasure, Aika. I'll see you in the morning."

Aika smiled and departed for the room she shared with Vyse and Fina. Nari watched her go, then set to work cleaning up. Tomorrow would be a long day, indeed.

* * *

Morning came, and with it, the day of the tournament. Piastol waited in a chamber just outside the coliseum, surrounded by other surly-looking contestants. Many of them likely thought they looked intimidating; to her, they mostly looked like the kinds of people she hunted for a living. She didn't doubt that a few of them were pirates. That just made the prospect of winning all the more satisfying.

Her conversation from yesterday was still fresh in her mind, and it still confused her slightly. She'd been pushing it back every time it started to creep into the forefront of her thoughts, but the fact that it kept returning told her she wasn't done processing it yet. Still, it wasn't the time for that. She focused her attention on twirling the knife in her hand. This was her tool. This was how she would achieve her revenge.

Eventually, after a long wait, a man in a Valuan officer's uniform entered the room. "Alright, everyone. Listen up."

Eyes across the room quickly settled on him, and to his credit, he didn't flinch. "This is a no-holds-barred fighting tournament. Every match is one-on-one, and fights end either when one participant dies, or surrenders. You can use any weapon, with the exception of guns or magic. All clear?"

"We already agreed to your damned terms when we signed up." One man called from the corner.

The officer fixed the man with a glare. "Yes, well, I know your type tends to _forget_ certain key details where prizes are involved. Do note that violating the rules will result in an automatic forfeit and potential execution."

He received a dozen glares from around the room as he turned and left. The room went silent as people waited to be called to the field.

"Jimmy the Fox?" Another Valuan attendant called from the double doors at the other end of the room. A young-looking man with an eyepatch stood up and strolled over to him. "You're up." The younger man cast a smirk back over his shoulder at the rest of the crowd, still waiting. The attendant opened the doors for him, and together they departed, letting those doors swing shut with a soft click.

Minutes passed. The attendant returned. Jimmy didn't. Piastol could guess what had happened to him, and she didn't particularly care. Folks like him deserved what they got.

It carried on like that, with people being called out one by one. A few returned, but most didn't. Eventually, it was Piastol's turn. "Emilia?" the attendant called. She rose from her seat, rolling her neck and stretching her legs for a moment before heading over to the doors. They opened, just as they had for everyone before her, and she went through them with the attendant alongside her.

The doors shut behind them, leaving them in a smaller room with another, larger set of doors at the end. "Go stand by the exit and step out when the doors open." The attendant instructed her, moving to stand to one side. Piastol nodded curtly and stood where she was told to. Her fingers squeezed and released impulsively at the hilts of her knives. This was it.

The doors flung open a minute later, giving her a clear view of the coliseum's field stretching out before her. She stepped through them into the roar of the crowd. It was a constant clamoring in her ears as she took in her barren surroundings. The only thing of interest to be seen was her opponent, a tallish man in a Valuan soldier's armor. It looked considerably heavier than the light leather armor she'd decided to outfit herself with. Perfect.

A voice boomed from one end of the arena. She wasn't exactly sure how it was being projected like that, but her eyes went to its source anyways. A raised stand one one side of the coliseum held what looked to be various VIPs, including the announcer, who was in the middle of hyping them up.

"This time around, it looks like we've got Lieutenant Varel of the sixth fleet, facing off against miss Emilia from mid-ocean. A mysterious contender, to be sure!" Piastol rolled her eyes. She almost wish she'd used her "Angel of Death" title, but she was almost as certain that that would've gotten her arrested.

"You know the rules! Fight to the death, or until one of you surrenders!" She heard a bell ring out through the arena. "Begin!"

To her surprise, her opponent didn't simply rush at her right away. Instead, he began circling her, his sword raised as he looked for an opening. Piastol smiled wickedly at him as she took a slow step closer and began to do the same. "You're going to die, you know that?" She teased him.

The lieutenant narrowed his eyes at her, and a moment later charged, swinging his sword in a wide, swift arc. It was much too slow. Piastol ducked under it with ease. There was no point aiming for his legs, especially with the armor he was wearing. She knew where she wanted to aim. She slipped past him and straightened up behind him. His sword whipped out in a backwards arc, trying to retaliate, and she caught it on one of her blades.

"Hmph." She was frustratingly unimpressed so far. She backed off and let him come at her again. And yet again, he was much too slow, swinging at her predictably with a vertical arc. She brushed it aside with a sweep of her knife before driving the other at his chest. It didn't manage to penetrate his armor, but it sent him stumbling back a step. "Come on. One more try." She snapped at him.

He let out a low growl as he rushed her once more, this time feinting out of his initial attack and attempting to lunge at her from the side, the tip of his sword aimed for her flank. It almost surprised her, but not quite. She stepped forward in a flash, moving past him and out of the way of his stab, before whipping her knife around to aim for his throat.

To his credit, he managed to anticipate it, taking a step to the side. He wasn't quite fast enough, however, and her knife dug into the side of his neck, tearing a messy gouge that his hand quickly snapped up to cover. He collapsed to one knee, dropping his sword as Piastol closed the distance, intent on finishing the job. Her work was cut short, however, as he raised a hand in surrender.

She grit her teeth as the bell rang out through the arena once more. Another Valuan wearing a white robe hurried out to help the injured lieutenant off the field, while the announcer seemed to ignore him. "And our winner is the mysterious miss Emilia!" Applause filled the coliseum, deafening her once more, and she glared out at the assembled crowd.

Until she caught sight of a man with striking blonde hair standing in the VIP section, clapping for her and smiling at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, and she almost thought she could see him wink. She shook her head as she stormed off in the direction of the doors she'd come out of to begin with. She didn't have time for more mysteries.

One fight flowed to the next. Fighting pirates, mercenaries and Valuan soldiers was easy. Where were the tough fights she was promised? Slowly, the numbers in the waiting room dwindled until it was just her and one other fighter. She was at least a little impressed with him - he looked like an actual practiced swordsman, with a custom-made weapon and close-fitting, practical armor. She hoped he'd be her opponent in the finals, at least.

He was called to the field, and she was left alone in the waiting room, anticipating her penultimate match. Within minutes the swordsman returned, wiping blood off his weapon with a small cloth before sitting down without a word to either her or the attendant. She was definitely looking forward to that fight.

"Emilia, you're up again." The attendant called to her. She took a deep breath before stepping through the doors once more.

She froze up as she stepped through the outer doors and onto the field. She recognized her opponent right away. She'd recognize him anywhere.

Short silvery-white hair. A long, delicate sword that seemed to be made out of pure silver. Sharp, handsome features and a black uniform. The only thing that was unfamiliar was the cold, distant look on his face. Her legs felt unsteady and her breathing sped up.

"For our second semifinal match, we have the prodigious miss Emilia facing off against our own admiral Ramirez, commander of the sixth fleet!" She didn't hear the rest of what he'd said.

 _Ramirez._ She'd been shaping herself in his image for years, ever since the sinking of the Aquila. He was her role model, and the person outside her own family she'd wanted to see again most of all. She'd heard about his meteoric rise through the ranks of the Valuan military, but this was her first time seeing him in the flesh in seven years. He still looked exactly the same. She wondered if he recognized her.

Her thoughts were cut short by the piercing chime of the bell. "Begin!" Ramirez was almost a blur as he came at her with his silvery sword poised to whip out in a deadly arc, determined to end the battle in a single strike.

But Piastol had seen his speed before. He'd trained her and taught her much of what he knew. She'd been moulding herself to match his skill, and so she was able to anticipate his strike and evade it narrowly. Still, she wasn't superhuman, and she hissed as the tip of his blade bit into her arm.

She slid to a stop as her frantic momentum carried her, and she struggled to get her panicked breathing under control as Ramirez eyed her. He hadn't been expecting her to evade him. Maybe nobody had managed thus far.

Meanwhile, she was still struggling to process the fact that it was _him_ , it was Ramirez, and that their first meeting in seven years might be the one where he killed her. And almost to punctuate her thoughts, he came at her again, this time with more care to anticipate her ability to dodge him. He would strike true this time unless she met him head on.

She grit her teeth as she lifted her knives into a cross pattern to catch his blade. It struck with enough force to send tremors through her arms, which quickly turned into a nagging ache. She could feel him applying pressure, trying to break through. He was so much _stronger_ than her.

Eventually, by some good fortune, she saw a break in his concentration. She broke away as best and as quickly as she could, but still he nicked her shoulder on the way out. He was so damnably fast.

She wasn't sure she could win. But she had to win. She'd come here to get stronger, and Ramirez was the strongest opponent she could possibly hope for. She took a deep breath as she willed herself to tap into every reserve of energy she had - to use every skill she had buried in the back of her memory.

Ramirez was coming at her again, impossibly fast. This time, she took lighting-fast step to the side before brushing his swing aside and lashing out with her other knife. He reacted quickly, taking the cut on his forearm as he pulled away in a hurry. His silvery eyes were wide with surprise, and he froze on the spot, staring at her.

"Come on, then!" She called, beckoning to him around one of her knives. "Is that the best you can do?"

His lips split into a grin, and for a moment Piastol thought he looked positively twisted. The moment passed, and he blurred towards her with sword arm outstretched. She caught one strike on the blade of a knife, then another on the other knife. He was swinging quickly and precisely, looking for any weakness in her defenses.

Piastol began to realize that, as good as she was, as fast as she was, he was still faster and stronger. She could feel the painful tremors starting to run through her arms again, and her grip on her knives began to slacken. Eventually, one particularly forceful blow sent one of her blades spinning off onto the stone flooring, away from her.

She stumbled back, clutching at her remaining blade as she stared at Ramirez in shock. He was staring back at her with a confident smirk, his sword held casually off to one side. "You're very good." He complimented her. His voice sounded almost exactly like she remembered it, only missing… something. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She took the brief respite to catch her breath and let the ache subside from her muscles. "I… learnt from the best…" She panted.

"It's a shame that you'll die here, then." He said, before rushing at her again. She managed to catch his sword on her knife, but with a sharp crack she felt the blade shatter. The back of his hand slammed into her chest, and she tumbled back onto the cobblestones with a pained grunt. She could see him looming over her, casually strolling towards her to deliver the finishing blow.

Would Ramirez really kill her? The man she'd idolized for so long? She'd come here to get stronger, having finally found the means to her revenge, and she was going to die at the hands of the one she'd modeled herself after.

Except… she did have a way out. All she'd have to do is surrender. Give up. Part of her felt it would be better to simply let herself die, if she couldn't muster the strength to grow any further. She'd already been denied her revenge once.

But then, inexplicably, she thought of Vyse. His infuriating, confounding behavior, and the stupid smile he'd worn when he sent her off. That anger and… confusion that welled up within her told her she couldn't die yet. "To hell with pride…" She spat as she lifted her open hand. "I surrender!"

Ramirez stopped in his tracks, narrowing his eyes at her. "What a shame." He muttered as he turned his back on her. Piastol felt a tightness in her chest.

"The winner is Ramirez!" The announcer proclaimed.

Piastol staggered to her feet, staring at his back. Was this the same man who'd been so kind to her all those years ago?

As she bit down on the pain that surged through her and made her way back towards the doors to the arena, she reflected that maybe what had gone missing was his soul.

* * *

Morning came, and with it, Vyse, Aika, Fina and Narissa headed to the docks on the outskirts of Maramba. They wound their way away from where the larger trading ships sought port, eventually coming to a more distant part of the port where smaller personal ships could dock. It was there that they came upon Narissa's modest vessel.

"It's not much, but it'll get us where we need to go." She explained as she ushered them aboard. Vyse, in particular, seemed fascinated by the details of the little ship.

"I don't think I've ever been aboard a Nasr-made ship before. The design seems completely different from the stuff you see in mid-ocean…" He mused aloud.

Narissa smiled at him. "Do you know a lot about ships?"

Vyse grinned and gave her a wink. "I love everything about ships and sailing. I'd be more surprised if there was something I don't know." Aika rolled her eyes behind him, and Narissa's smile grew a touch wider.

"Would you like to be in charge of flying us to our destination, then?" She asked.

He looked like he'd been waiting for that question. "Absolutely!" He said, hurrying up the steps of the little ship's cabin to man the helm. "Where are we headed?"

"Southeast. We're heading for a town called Oasis, in the great desert." She explained. "There's a man there who I believe can point you in the direction of the crystal. They say his family was tasked with guarding it from ancient times."

"Sounds good to me!" Vyse called from the helm. As he fiddled with it, the little ship began to pull away from the docks and into the skies of Nasr. He let it drift for a bit before turning it roughly southeast and setting off.

Narissa waited until they were away from Maramba's immediate airspace to turn her attention to Fina and Aika. "You can stay in the cabin if you want to get out of the heat. It's cooler in there." She offered.

"I'd like that." Fina said with a polite nod of her head, before heading inside. Aika stared after her for a moment before shrugging and turning around, heading to the deck's railing and peering out at the passing scenery. Below them stretched the seemingly endless Nasr desert, which was almost featureless from up high.

Narissa considered heading inside to keep Fina company. She decided she'd rather take in the view a bit herself, strolling over to stand beside Aika at the railing. They enjoyed the scenery in silence for several minutes.

"It really does seem endless. How does anyone live out here?" Aika muttered at last.

Nari shrugged. "Some people are nomads, moving around so they can make use of resources one spot at a time. The stable settlements are all built around sources of water… like the appropriately-named 'Oasis'."

Aika nodded. "And you think this guy we're going to see knows where we can find the crystal?"

Narissa stared at Aika's face in profile. Now that she'd gotten to know her better, she could tell this was a woman beset with worry for her friends. It made her heart ache. "Absolutely." She said quietly.

Aika nodded again. "Good."

An hour and a half later, Narissa waved to Vyse from the deck. "That's Oasis down there! Start taking us down!" She called to him.

Vyse gave her a smile, and she felt the little craft beginning to descend towards the town below. The formerly featureless dunes gradually took on shape and detail as they grew increasingly near, until eventually the ship quietly touched down just outside the perimeter of the town. Vyse hopped nimbly down from the helm, dusting his hands off. "Is it alright to leave the ship here like this?" He asked.

Narissa looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "We shouldn't be here too long. I doubt anyone will mind." She said, before strolling to the edge of the ship and hopping over the railing. Vyse, Aika, and eventually Fina followed. "Welcome to Oasis." She said as they trudged through the sand.

It was a tiny town centered around a watering hole surrounded by a thin layer of greenery. Most of the homes looked temporary, consisting of elaborate tents with few permanent structures. One could guess by the amount of decoration, at least, that most of the residents had been here for a while. "It's really quiet out here…" Fina observed.

Narissa nodded. "Most of the people here spend their time away from home, foraging or hunting or trading. There's not much to do in the town itself." She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "The one we're here to see lives this way." She said, hurrying them along. Fina glanced around curiously, trying to catch sight of anyone other than themselves, but found no one.

Eventually they stopped in front of a large red tent lined with silver. "In here." Nari gestured, before stepping inside. Vyse, Aika and Fina followed.

It was empty, inhabited only by decorations and a variety of lush carpets and pillows. "Is he not home?" Vyse asked.

Nari smiled sheepishly. "I'll go get him. Please stay here, okay?" She said before hurrying out of the tent without further explanation.

Vyse watched her go before scratching his head. "Something seems off…" He admitted to the other two.

"This place feels abandoned." Fina said quietly.

Aika furrowed her brow as she stared at the flap in the tent Narissa had disappeared through. _What is going on here?_ She wondered to herself, worried.

Her answer came quickly as four figures stepped through the tent flap, one at a time. The first two were soldiers clad head-to-toe in red armor, each bearing a spear. They levelled their weapons at the trio before any of them could draw their own.

The two that followed wore outfits of a similar red, but eschewed helmets. A man with dark skin and a serious expression on his face stepped in bearing a staff, followed by a slightly younger woman with flowing red hair and a pretty face. Her emerald eyes glimmered with mischief as she took in Vyse and company's predicament. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She said, thumbing the hilt of the sword at her hip.

Vyse took up a defensive posture, though he couldn't reach for his cutlasses. "What is this?"

The dark-skinned man spoke up. "You are under arrest for crimes against the Valuan empire. Come quietly and we will not have to kill any of you."

Fina's eyes went wide. "Valua…? How?"

Aika felt her heart sink, and her shoulders sagged as things started to click in her head. "Narissa…" Her voice was heavy with frustration and disappointment.

Another voice echoed from outside the tent. "Yes. I'm afraid your new friend has given you up to protect her dear father." A woman stepped inside, looking like the twin of the red-haired woman already occupying the tent. Only on closer inspection could they be told apart - She was a little taller, looked a little older, and had a more serious air about her, standing at attention with a calm and cold expression that contrasted the mischievous expression of her twin.

Narissa followed a moment later, staring at the floor. The newcomer pat her head casually as she spoke. "Didn't you, Narissa? Are you excited to see your papa again?"

Narissa visibly shuddered. "Yes… admiral Belleza…" She spoke in a soft voice, almost not wanting to be heard.

Vyse, Aika and Fina stared at her in disbelief. Belleza gestured to her two unmasked subordinates. "Damian, Thalia. Get these three in chains before they make a fuss like they're wont to do."

They went with little struggle. Narissa watched them as they were taken away. "What'll you do with them?" She asked.

Belleza eyed her. "They'll be taken to Valua as soon as possible, interrogated, and potentially executed."

Narissa froze, her chest aching. She forced herself to take a breath. "But… I'll get my father back? Where is he? I did what you asked of me…"

Belleza set a hand on the girl's shoulder, turning her around to give her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid it's not quite that simple."

Narissa felt herself starting to choke up. "What? I did everything you asked."

Belleza shook her head. "Our mission isn't complete. My lieutenants checked the temple." She explained. "The crystal is gone."

* * *

Late in the evening, Piastol hurried back to her ship. She wanted to be out of Valua as quickly as possible. She wanted to forget what had transpired here, to be back in mid ocean again. At least there she felt like she understood what was happening.

But her quick departure was not to be. Someone was behind her, and she whipped around to find a familiar silver-eyed visage staring back at her. "Hello again." Ramirez said with a smirk.

Piastol felt a lump in her throat. Her chest tightened again. "How did you…?"

Ramirez chuckled. "I'm an admiral of the Armada. It's not hard to get information about who is docked where."

Piastol took a step back. "What do you want from me?"

The silver-haired man gave her a critical look. "You're the angel of death, aren't you? You fit the description." Piastol began to reach for one of the knives at her belt. He caught her wrist with casual swiftness. "Relax. I'm not looking to arrest you."

She jerked her wrist out of his hand. She was horribly conflicted between seeing him as the Ramirez she'd… cared so much about, and seeing him as the man who'd almost killed her, seemed excited to kill her, just a few hours ago. "Then _why_ are you here?" She snapped.

Ramirez smiled again, and this time it was a little less harsh. "Curiosity. I've seen precious few people who can move and fight like you do. I want to know where you learned to fight like that."

Piastol stared at him, wide-eyed, as she considered how to answer him. She didn't know what to say, or how to lie to him, so she simply told him the truth. "You taught me."

Ramirez blinked. She thought she could see a bit of his old self in his expression for just a moment before his features hardened into a mask of anger. "Don't tell jokes. This is a serious question." He loomed over her like a silvery shadow. She noted he hadn't yet patched up the cut she'd left on his arm. Maybe it was a mark of shame to him.

"I'm not lying!" Piastol insisted. "You taught me, seven years ago aboard the Aquila!"

Ramirez froze up, eyes wide. Even his breathing halted as he stared at her. Eventually he seemed to remember himself, taking a slow step back from her. "That's… not possible." He said. "Who are you?"

There was no sense hiding it at this point. He'd figure it out soon enough, anyways. "Piastol. Daughter of admiral Mendosa. You were my best friend back then, Ramirez…" She said, suddenly feeling wistful as she stared at her feet. She didn't care what he did at this point. Her heroes tried to kill her, and the people she hated spared her. Nothing made sense to her anymore.

"Piastol… I…" She slowly lifted her head to look at him. He had his forehead in one palm, and his eyes were dull with shock. Had something broken in him?

She took a few steps closer, reaching out to him. "Ramirez…"

He slapped her hand away. "Don't touch me." He snapped, lifting his eyes to glare at her. "I don't need help." He straightened up and stared at her in disbelief. "Why did you come back?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him. Being rejected like that hurt more than she cared to admit. "I finally found the person who killed my father and sunk the Aquila, but they're stronger than even me. I need to get stronger still so I can kill them and have my revenge."

Ramirez stared onwards. It was almost like he was staring through her. "Revenge. For the death of your father."

She nodded. "I need it. I need to make his killers pay for what they did…" She said, her voice a little shaky. She stared back at Ramirez for a long moment before speaking again. "Will you help me, Ramirez? I… I think I need help. I need you…" She said, letting her weakness show for once. He was the only person that she felt could do this to her.

He gawked at her. "I can't." He finally said, turning away.

"Why not?" She demanded, reaching out to him again. "Forget that stupid admiralty. You're not an admiral, you're a swordsman. Come fight for what's right… fight with me."

Ramirez didn't look back at her. His voice was cold and distant, like it had been at the coliseum. "You don't know what you're doing."

Another little sliver of ice slid into her heart. "I'm not a child anymore, Ramirez!" She snapped.

He turned his head slightly, and she could see a faint smirk on his lips. "You fight like one. You act like one. You may as well be one."

Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed. "To hell with you…" Her fingers curled into fists. She wanted to hit him, but she knew he'd break her arm before she got close.

Ramirez shook his head. "If you want my advice? Give it up, Piastol. You're not cut out for this." He started walking away, towards the city. "It was nice seeing you again."

Piastol could feel a wetness trickling down to stain her cheeks as she took another few steps after him. "Where are you going?! You can't just leave me with that!"

Ramirez's voice carried back to her as he rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight. "To the only place I belong."


	8. Conscience

It happened just like she pictured in her nightmares. Men whose faces she couldn't see tied her arms behind her back. She was led off to an unfamiliar place and left to wait for her fate. The people she cared about most came with her, doomed to share her ultimate end.

The small town was fairly bustling with Valuan soldiers now. Evidently they'd been lying in wait, anticipating their arrival. Everything that was happening to them now had been planned. The tiny, dark tent they'd been escorted to offered her nothing to distract herself.

Aika could feel her eyes stinging with unfallen tears as she hunched over on her knees in the darkness. She couldn't see a way out of this. The last time they were trapped like this, Drachma had come to save them. She didn't see him coming to their rescue again, especially after the way they had parted. Nobody else knew where they were.

Her worst fears were being realized. They were trapped. Soon enough they'd be hauled off to Valua, and from there it could only get worse. She might not even see Vyse or Fina again after today. She glanced to one side to see the two of them, vague shadows in the darkness, sitting silently, no doubt lost in their own thoughts.

And then there was Narissa.

That little glimmer of irrational hope. A fleeting connection that had made her smile. For what felt like a moment, her worries were assuaged.

And then she was thrown to the wolves.

She didn't care if anyone saw her crying then. It was dark enough that nobody would, anyways.

"Aika… it'll be okay." Vyse was speaking to her. Somehow he was _still_ maintaining that upbeat tone he always used when things were at their worst. Did things really just never get to him, or was he simply an amazing liar?

"I don't… I don't think so, this time…" Aika replied, not looking his way. She didn't want him to get even a hint of the miserable expression on her face.

"It's only over if you give up." He said, his voice softer but still insistent.

She smiled sadly. She didn't believe him, but the least she could do was make him think she did. "Thanks, Vyse…"

He quieted down, and she hoped he believed she still believed.

* * *

Belleza, Narissa and her lieutenants gathered around a makeshift table on the other side of the oasis.

"We need to find the red crystal, or our mission won't be complete. We can't afford to return without it." The admiral explained. "Neither of you could find it anywhere within the temple?"

Thalia, who'd tied her hair back into a tail to make herself more distinct from her commander, shook her head. "We saw no signs of it, anywhere." She frowned intensely. "And you know me, Bella. If there was something valuable in there, I'd have found it."

Damian nodded to his companion's assessment. "I agree. It seems most likely that the crystal has been removed from the temple by a third party."

Narissa stayed back, looking like she wanted to shrink away out of existence. "Are… are you sure you need it now? If it's not in the temple it'll probably take you a very long time to find it…" she protested softly.

Belleza fixed her with a hard look. "I told you - that's not an option. We _must_ find the crystal." She turned to Damian. "Can you do anything to track it down?"

Her darker-skinned lieutenant closed his eyes, looking thoughtful. "I can scry for its location. Its magical signature is strong and unique enough that I could likely isolate it among the noise, given enough time." Narissa whimpered from her corner of the tent.

"Assuming it's still in the Nasr region." Thalia added. "I know you've got your limits."

Damian smirked at her. "Something tells me it hasn't gone far. Call it intuition."

Belleza furrowed her brow in thought as she stared at Damian. "But you can find it, then?"

He kept his eyes on Thalia as he nodded. "Indeed. And when I locate it, you can depend on Thalia to retrieve it." Thalia winked at him from across the table without saying anything.

Belleza nodded, looking calmer than she had before. "Then we have our plan of action." She turned towards the other end of the table. "See, Narissa? You'll get your father back s…" she stopped speaking as she realized that the spot Narissa had occupied now stood empty. "What? Where did she go?"

Thalia glanced at the opening of the tent, hissing under her breath. "Shit. Come on, Damian." She waved to her companion, who nodded to her before hurrying out of the tent with her, leaving Belleza alone.

"Eh?" She blinked, before scowling down at the table. "One of these days, I'm going to teach those two to explain themselves _before_ going off to do their own thing." She chastised herself before storming off out of the tent in search of her wayward underlings.

* * *

Aika was considering talking to Vyse again when she heard a commotion immediately outside the tent. A rustling, grunts, and then a thud. She glanced up at the flap with a confused expression.

A figure slipped through it, hard to discern in the darkness. She could tell it was wielding a gently-curved sword, however. That alone made her shiver as she considered what they might be about to do.

The figure walked with a hurried pace over to where Fina knelt. They stepped behind her as Fina's wide eyes tracked them. Then, with a careful flourish of their sword, they cut away the ropes binding Fina. She stared at the intruder in mild shock as she stretched her arms. "Up." It said, its voice urgent.

And familiar. Aika stared at them as they drew closer to cut the ropes binding Vyse's arms. He turned around to quirk his head to one side at them. Aika knew what he was going to say before he said it, and it made her grit her teeth. "Narissa?"

"No time. Hurry." She said in that same urgent voice before moving to Aika and kneeling down to slip the blade between her back and the bindings around her arms. "Hold still." She heard Narissa whisper.

A moment of tension and the cool flat of the blade against her inner arms was followed by the snap of the ropes. Aika stretched her arms out before her, staring at them.

"Come on. We have to h-" Narissa began. She was cut off as the palm of Aika's hand crashed into her cheek with a resounding crack. She stumbled from her knees onto her hip as Aika quickly moved to stand over her, snatching the blade out of her hand.

" _How could you?!"_ Aika spat the words with a considerable venom as Narissa rubbed at her aching cheek. She froze up as Aika leveled the edge of the blade with her throat. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you." She hissed.

Narissa stared up at her in shock and fear. "Aika!" Vyse's hand grabbed Aika's wrist, restraining her sword arm. "She just cut us free!"

Aika turned her head to glare hot daggers at Vyse. "Shut up! She sold us out! The only reason we were tied up in the first place was because of her." She turned her attention back to Narissa, clenching her teeth over strained words. "I can't believe I…" she couldn't finish her sentence as her arm trembled with tension.

"Aika…" Fina's voice came to her, pleading, and though it made her a little sad to hear the worry in her voice, it still wasn't enough. She was waiting for an answer from the woman herself.

Narissa seemed to realize this, and she spoke in a soft, shaky voice as she tried not to breathe too hard, lest she press up against the blade. "I-I know where the crystal is…"

Aika spat at her. "That's what you told us last time." She strained ever so slightly against Vyse's grip.

"It's the truth!" Narissa protested. "I just… wanted to save my father. He's all I have…" she stared at Aika with wet eyes. "I'm so sorry for turning you in, Aika. I shouldn't have… but it's like I told you last night." Her voice came out softer than ever. "I know what it's like to be afraid."

Aika felt like she'd been slapped in the face. She took a step back, and as her arm slackened, she felt Vyse let her go. She stumbled back and fell into a sitting position with her sword at her side, staring at Narissa. "You…" she breathed.

"I'm sorry…" Narissa sobbed. Aika couldn't tell if she was really crying in the darkness of the tent. It sounded genuine.

Aika took a slow breath to calm herself. She narrowed her eyes at Narissa. "We'll deal with you later. We need to get out of here."

The other three looked visibly relieved. Aika didn't care. She just wanted to be away from that place. She stepped out of the tent to see two uniformed Valuans looking very unconscious. Vyse stepped out behind her, seeing the same, and quickly knelt to grab the remaining guard's sword. "Where's the ship?" He asked as Narissa and Fina emerged from the tent behind them, the former looking shaky,

Narissa pointed roughly to their right. "About that way." She said. As the four of them glanced in the direction she'd indicated, an orange-red light shot into the sky from the other side of the encampment.

"What is that?" Fina asked.

"Looks like a flare." Vyse observed. "The Valuans are signaling to their ship. We've got to hurry."

The group moved quickly in the direction of Narissa's ship, but before long they found themselves cut off by a duo of soldiers. "Halt!" They snapped.

"Two versus four?" Aika called, amused. She twirled her sword as if it were her beloved boomerang.

"Not quite." The voice came from behind them, and Aika grunted as Vyse plowed into her from her side, taking her just barely out of the way of a delicate-looking blade that moments later came to occupy the space where her spine had been.

Thalia scoffed at Vyse as she turned to him, brandishing her slender sword. "Tch. It would've been so much easier for you if you'd let her die."

Her darker-skinned companion strolled into view from behind another tent, his hands bare of weapons. "Surrender. You will not escape - not any of you." He said, staring at Narissa. As he extended a hand, palm-up, a small ball of fire blossomed above it. "Come quietly."

Aika scowled and spoke up before Vyse could. "Not this time." She snapped, taking a sudden swing at the red-headed lieutenant that had been smirking at her moments ago. Thalia tumbled away quickly with a look of amusement on her face.

"My, my. Someone's in a mood." She teased. Aika rushed at her with a cry of anger, and like that, the tension broke.

Vyse charged at the two soldiers blocking their way to the ship. "Out of the way!" He said with a grin. The nearer of the two soldiers lifted his sword into a defensive position as he anticipated the attack.

"Go, Cupil!" Fina's voice was sharp and clear. The soldier let out a grunt as an amorphous silvery hammer slammed into the back of his head. He collapsed quickly, leaving Vyse with just the one remaining soldier looking frantically between the pirate and the bizarre silvery weapon that had just felled his comrade.

"What the hell?" He snapped as he found himself being accosted by two swords at once, one normal and one made of silvery particles.

Damian watched the chaos with an eyebrow arched. He was halfway through gathering his will for a fire spell when Narissa moved to stand in front of him. "No you don't." She chastised him.

He smirked his usual smirk at her. "Are you planning to stop me then, Guardian?"

She flinched at the name he gave her. Then she nodded. She closed her eyes and assumed a fighter's unarmed posture. "Moons, embolden my spirit…" she murmured. Red light flared from within her, and when she opened her eyes again, they burned with an inner light.

Damian's smile only grew. "Come on, then." He said, before slinging his floating ball of flame at her. "Show me what you can do!"

Narissa leapt to one side to evade the explosion of fire that bloomed from the little fireball, before running at Damian bowed forward, looking to close the distance in a hurry. The mage scoffed before casually slinging another fireball at her. "Dodge this." It came straight at her, too fast to dodge.

Narissa raised her palm in front of her as her eyes flashed again, and the flames that erupted from the detonation of the little fireball seemed to flow all around her without ever touching her. Damian's eyes widened in shock as she finished closing the distance to him and drove a fist into his gut.

He staggered back, clutching as his stomach. "How?!" He demanded, conjuring a burst of cutting winds to eviscerate his opponent.

Again, her eyes flashed as she extended her palm. She winced as a few cuts appeared in her fingers, but by and large the gale passed her by like she wasn't there. "Don't underestimate me…" she growled, before throwing a punch at his cheek.

Damian grunted as it collided and sent his head sideways. Another hit connected with his chest, followed by a kick that sent him tumbling down into the sand. He stared at Narissa in disbelief before glancing behind her. "Thalia!" He called as he clutched at his midsection.

Thalia glanced in Damian's direction from where she sparred evenly with Aika. She hastily disengaged from the red-headed pirate before smoothly shifting her momentum to begin sprinting at Narissa.

Narissa didn't react in time. She whirled around and lifted her palm, but Thalia's sword swept right by it and carved a furrow into the girl's chest. She let out a pained cry as she stumbled back a step. Thalia grit her teeth as she raised her sword to deliver a killing blow.

Aika slammed into her from behind, and they both fell to the sand in a pile. "You bitch!" Aika screamed as she took a sucker punch at Thalia's face. Thalia took it with a grunt and a wince before throwing Aika off her. Aika was about to dive right back in when Vyse's voice called to her. "Aika! We need to go, _now!"_ She turned her head to see that the two soldiers who'd been blocking their path now lay in a heap on the sands.

She hastened to her feet before grabbing Narissa's wrist without a thought, dragging the stumbling girl along with her, heading for Vyse and the ship. Thalia got to her feet moments later, ready to give chase, when Damian restrained her, evidently having managed to get up himself. "Don't bother. The Lynx is here." He explained, before gesturing to the sky. Above them, approaching rapidly, was the sleek red ship they'd come to Nasr on.

Thalia gave the retreating pirates a last look before grinning at Damian. "Let's return to the admiral, then."

* * *

Narissa's little ship took to the skies a scant few minutes later as the looming specter of the Lynx drew ever closer.

"They're awfully close." Vyse grit his teeth as he spun the wheel at the helm, slowly turning the vessel away from the approaching flagship.

Aika knelt over Narissa, who sat slumped against the outer wall of the cabin, clutching at her chest. "You need to move your hands." Aika snapped, half frantic, half angry.

She felt her weight shift as the ship started moving, hurrying away from the impending threat. Narissa stared at her with wide, frightened eyes, but let her hands fall to her sides. Aika grimaced as she was given a clear view of the angry red wound that had been torn through the woman's chest. Her top was quickly being stained red. She shivered and set her distaste aside as she reached out with both hands, letting them hover inches from Narissa's torso.

"Moons, help me to heal." She implored urgently. She felt the tingle of magic run through her as her fingers were slowly suffused with a reassuring green light. The panic and pain on Narissa's face dwindled slightly as the healing magic flowed into her.

"Vyse!" Fina's voice was shrill, off to one side. Before Aika could fully turn her head to look in her direction, she heard a loud crash, and the ship rattled and jerked violently beneath her. Her magic stuttered and nearly faded, and she had to lift a hand and set it on the cabin wall to steady herself. Narissa let out a shuddering breath beneath her.

"We've been hit!" Vyse called from the helm. Aika glanced in Fina's direction once more and realized that the large red ship had caught up to them and was now flying alongside them. She could feel the little ship shaking beneath her as it tried to cope with the damage it had suffered.

Aika set a hand on Narissa's shoulder. "Does this ship have any weapons?" She demanded. Narissa stared at her for a long moment, and Aika was about to ask again when the girl shook her head.

"N…nothing…" Narissa gasped out.

Aika pounded on the cabin, shouting upwards at Vyse. "We need to get out of here!"

"This is as fast as this thing'll go!" Vyse protested.

"Another one inco-" Fina's voice began, but she was drowned out by another thunderous crash as the little ship rocked violently under cannonfire. Aika heard a sputtering, clattering sound from below her, and moments later she felt the ship jerk lower, starting to descend.

"The engines…" Aika hissed.

"They're going to sink us!" Vyse called. "All hands, brace for impact…"

Aika huddled over Narissa, focusing instead on doing what she could for the girl's wounds while they were still airborne. At least they weren't in free fall, she mused darkly. She fully expected to be recaptured once they touched down. Her eyes fixed intently on the woman beneath her, and she reflected that at least she'd gotten to feel one more rush of hope.

Another boom, another crash. This time, however, it wasn't on their ship. "Look!" Fina called, and Aika lifted her head to follow her pointing finger. Her eyes widened.

"By the moons…"

* * *

"Who just shot us?!" Thalia snapped as she paced around the bridge of the Lynx.

The soldier at the ship's helm leaned close to a horn-like instrument near where he stood. "Looks like a big green fishing boat. Apparently pretty old, too."

"Narissa's ship is already failing. Turn our fire on the newcomer." Belleza ordered, standing on a raised platform at the center of the bridge.

Soldiers bustled around the room relaying her orders. Thalia moved to stand at Belleza's side as her superior adopted a thoughtful expression. "Do you know who's attacking us?" Thalia asked.

Belleza glanced at her, her delicate red brow furrowed. "An old green fishing boat broke out of the Grand Fortress not two weeks ago. I hardly think it coincidence."

Thalia's eyes widened. "So _they're_ the ones…" Just as quickly, her eyes narrowed. "Vyse's ship?"

Belleza looked uncertain. "Maybe…" before she could add any further thoughts, another distant boom sounded, and the ship rattled slightly beneath their feet.

"We've been hit!" One of the soldiers called.

"Again?!" Thalia demanded angrily.

"They're fast. They keep blindsiding us." The helmsman called.

"It's no matter. They're not going to sink us with the kind of firepower they're bringing to the table." Belleza called. As she spoke, the big green boat flew past the front of the ship, past the windows on the bridge. She watched the main cannon, below them, swivel and take aim before loosing another blast of fire in the direction of its target.

"Another miss." The helmsman reported. "We need to…" he was interrupted by yet another boom. The main cannon exploded into flame as its twin barrels shattered. "Shit." He snapped.

"Tch." Belleza hissed. "It's fine. Have Damian ready the magic cannon."

* * *

Narissa's little ship was about halfway to the desert floor. Vyse was making a valiant effort to keep them from descending any faster. "I can't believe he came back." Fina said in disbelief, staring at the green ship that had just crippled their attacker's offensive capabilities.

"I knew he cared about us!" Vyse laughed from the helm.

The fishing boat loomed closer and closer, until it was alongside them. Nobody emerged onto the deck, but the message was clear. Fina hurried across the deck of Narissa's ship. "We need to go!" She called, waving to Aika and Vyse both.

Vyse hopped down from the top of the cabin and moved alongside Fina before glancing at Aika and Narissa expectantly.

Aika let her magic dwindle and set her hands on Narissa's shoulders, shaking them gently. The girl looked halfway unconscious, her eyes glazed over. "Narissa! Can you stand?"

Narissa's eyes suddenly snapped into focus, and she nodded her head a bit before setting her feet under her. She took a deep breath and set a hand on the wall of the cabin before forcing herself unsteadily to her feet. Aika stayed close, and when Narissa wobbled upon attempting to step away from the wall, she caught her and steadied her. "Damn it. You're not going to make the jump like this."

"Give her to me. I'll take her across." Vyse offered. "You can help Fina." Fina offered him a weak smile off to his side.

Aika looked searchingly at Vyse before nodding. She hurried over to Fina, taking the girl's hands. "Ready?" She asked. Fina nodded, and together they leapt across the gap to the larger ship alongside them. They stumbled a bit upon landing, and Aika felt a small rush of relief when she turned around and realized Vyse was already leaping across the gap with Narissa lying across his arms.

As if on cue, the smaller ship beside them exploded into flames as a massive fireball hurtled from one of the smaller cannons straddling the top of the red ship that continued to hound them. The fishing boat drifted a safe distance away from the now-burning wreck before starting to move again.

* * *

"Thanks for the rescue, cap'n." Vyse said gleefully as he climbed the last step to the old ship's bridge.

The large, surly old man behind the helm didn't spare him a glance. "Hmph. We ain't out of trouble yet. You can thank me _after_ the Little Jack is safe."

"Right…" Vyse said, looking suddenly sheepish.

"Get below decks and start preparin' the harpoon cannon. I'm never going to get a better test run than this." The old man instructed him.

"Aye aye, cap'n Drachma!" Vyse hurried down the steps.

"Still ain't your damned captain…" Drachma muttered irritably to himself as the boy disappeared.

Vyse passed by Aika and Narissa amidships as he made his way down to the bottom level, where the cannons would be. "Is she going to be okay?" Vyse asked.

Aika was checking on Narissa's wounds. They looked a bit better and had stopped bleeding, but the girl still looked terribly frail in this condition. "I think she'll live." Aika replied, lifting her gaze to fix it on Narissa's eyes. Narissa gave her a shaky smile.

"Right." Vyse said, offering the both of them a smile before hurrying down the next set of stairs.

"Thanks, Aika." Narissa's voice was as weak as the rest of her looked right then.

Aika frowned at her. "Yeah, whatever." She looked away. "You've got a lot of things to make up for before you can die."

Narissa froze, and her gaze fell to her lap. "Aika, I'm so sorry…" she began.

"Save it." Aika snapped. Whatever Narissa's reply might've been, however, it was interrupted as the ship swerved violently beneath them. Narissa clutched at her chest with a wince, and a crash sounded as something collided with the side of the ship, sending shudders through the wood.

A wave of cold washed over the cabin, and both girls shivered hard. "What was that?" Aika muttered aloud.

"T-take me outside." Narissa said urgently.

"What? Why?" Aika looked at her incredulously.

"Please!" Narissa begged, already trying to get to her feet. Aika sighed and took her hand, helping her the rest of the way up.

"Fine." Aika snapped, opening the door to the deck and leading them outside.

She nearly slipped on the ice that had patterned the deck in a mix of green and purple. As she hurried to get her footing, Narissa looked around with worry on her face. "They're using magic to attack the ship. You won't be able to dodge anymore." The Little Jack creaked beneath them as it tried to shed its new ice layer.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Aika asked, suddenly feeling the panic rising in her chest once more. "I need to tell the cap'n." She turned to head back inside, but Narissa's hand grabbed her wrist with surprising tightness.

"Please… stay. I need you." She said.

Aika looked at her in confusion before nodding. Narissa closed her eyes, steadying herself with Aika's support as she whispered, "Moons, embolden my spirit…" It wasn't nearly so pronounced as last time, but Narissa's stance grew steadier and her posture more relaxed as a faint aura of red flashed into being around her. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath.

Aika's expression only grew more confused. Distantly, the red ship loosed another ball of flame in their direction. She looked at Narissa with wide eyes. "We need to get inside, now!" She grabbed at Narissa and tugged, but the girl stayed where she was.

"Protect us…" Narissa implored as she cast her gaze skyward and extended her arms to either side of her, palms outward. As the oversized fireball hurtled towards them, Aika thought she could see a faint shimmer begin to coalesce around the ship. The fireball collided with it and splashed outwards, as if hitting a dome-shaped wall. Narissa shuddered but stayed on her feet, and the fire dissipated without ever reaching the Little Jack.

Aika looked frantically back and forth between Narissa, and the spot where the fireball had sputtered out. "What in all the moons…?"

* * *

"That damned guardian!" Damian's voice came through the speaking tube with barely-restrained fury.

"Keep up the attack! I doubt she can do that for long, especially injured." Belleza advised. She heard an annoyed sound from the other end of the tube, but no further protest. She turned to the rest of the crew on the bridge. "Try to maneuver around behind them and hit them with the secondary cannons. We just need one clean hit."

"They're shaking off the ice, admiral. They'll be back to full speed again shortly." The helmsman reported.

"Then make every shot count." She replied.

* * *

"Is the harpoon cannon ready, boy?" Drachma's voice was a little muffled as it rattled out of the little tube beside Vyse. "We're avoidin' their fire for now, but we can't keep it up for long."

Vyse wiped the sweat off his brow as he flipped a last switch into place. _Is it hot down here, or am I just having too much fun?_ He thought to himself. "About as ready as it'll ever be, cap'n."

"Good." Drachma replied. "She's tryin' to outmaneuver us. I'm gonna give her a little surprise. Be ready to fire on my signal."

* * *

"Are we around them?" Thalia asked. The bridge had fallen almost eerily silent. The battle was approaching its deciding moment.

"They've come to a complete stop. We'll need to circle the rest of the way around." The helmsman explained.

"What are they doing?" Belleza wondered aloud, her face creased with worry. "Stop and take aim. This is our chance."

* * *

"This is our chance, boy. They're sitting still for us." Drachma almost sounded excited.

"Ready at your signal, cap'n." Vyse said. His fingers gripped a long lever, ever so slightly tensed.

"Taking aim…" Drachma said. Vyse's grip tightened. "Fire."

Vyse grinned and pulled the lever. "Harpoon cannon, fire!"

* * *

Belleza lurched forward as something plowed into the side of the ship, rocking it from bow to stern. Alarms began sounding all around her. "What happened?"

The helmsman's voice reflected his confusion as he tried to reconcile a dozen different reports coming to him at once. "Some… some kind of harpoon weapon. Tore through the side of the ship. We've lost engineering."

The whole ship lurched again, and she heard metal creaking in the distance. "They've retracted the weapon and torn the hole wider." Another soldier called. "We're losing altitude, admiral. Should we still fire? They've remained stationary."

"Do we still have propulsion?" Belleza asked.

The helmsman shook his head. "We're going down. We either take them out with us, or…" he shrugged.

Belleza clenched a gloved hand into a fist. This wasn't how this mission was supposed to go. All around her she could hear reports of wounded coming in. She closed her eyes and sighed as she considered the lives of her men against her orders.

"Signal our surrender and set us down. We've lost."

* * *

"Are they…?" Aika squinted at the big red ship as it began to descend. They'd lowered their flag. "They're surrendering." She turned to Narissa, still standing beside her. "We did it! We beat Valua again!" She was a little too relieved to consider her grudge at that moment.

Narissa gave her a cracked smile, then slumped forward as her legs failed her. Aika stumbled as she caught her. She brushed the messy golden hair out of the girl's face and reflected with a lump in her throat that she looked very pale indeed. "'Gotta get you inside…" she muttered as she hauled the both of them back through the cabin doors.

"We did it, Cap'n!" Vyse cheered as he strolled up alongside Drachma to peer out at the descending red ship through the windows of the bridge.

"I've half a mind to finish them off while they're on the ground." Drachma growled.

Vyse's voice rang with protest. "Cap'n!"

Drachma pounded on the helm. "What? They just tried to kill us all!"

"Yeah, but…" Vyse sighed, scratching his chin. "They're still people. And they might have supplies we can use."

Drachma narrowed his uncovered eye at Vyse. He looked very much like he wanted to chastise the boy, but instead he set the Little Jack to descend. "Better be somethin' worthwhile." He grumbled.

* * *

Belleza was not used to losing, especially in circumstances like these. To think that a _fishing boat_ could bring down her flagship…

She squinted against the glaring sunlight as she got a better look at the old craft. It was extensively modified, that was for sure. It almost didn't even look like a fishing boat up close. More of a war boat.

 _Or a pirate ship,_ she mused with a wistful smile as two figures, one lean and one bulky, approached her and her two lieutenants. "Hello there." She called, lifting a hand in greeting - and to show she was unarmed.

The smaller of the two was familiar to her. He was that "Vyse" kid they'd captured back at the oasis. As far as she knew, he was the mastermind behind the whole ragtag crew.

This made it all the more surprising when his first attempt to speak was cut off by his companion. "Right then." The old, grizzled sailor said, "We'll be takin' half of your supplies and munitions."

Belleza frowned at him. "You're asking for a lot. We might need some of those materials to repair our engine."

He shook his head nonchalantly. "Don't worry about that. We're takin' the engine, too."

Belleza gawked. "But…" She forced herself to resume her composure. "How are we supposed to get out of here, then?"

"You've got legs, haven't you?" The large man almost looked like he was smirking under his thick beard.

Belleza heard Thalia mutter a few choice words behind her. She wanted to echo that sentiment, but thanked the moons she knew better than to do so. "Very well… may I at least ask who you are? What is your association with these pirates?"

The old man snorted. "That's none of your-"

"One-eyed Drachma." Damian interrupted him. "He's eluded patrols in north ocean for decades."

The old man - Drachma, she now knew - narrowed an eye at her lieutenant. She smiled her most disarming smile as she noted that little detail down for later. "Well then, Drachma. We'll agree to your terms, so long as you'll agree to leave us and the rest of our ship and crew unharmed."

Drachma nodded tersely. Off to his side, Vyse suddenly perked up. "Wait. What about Narissa's father? You need to return him to her."

Belleza grimaced. "He was sent back to Valua upon discovery of certain unusual items in his possession…"

Vyse's expression twisted into a scowl. "You weren't planning to give him back. Just to dangle him over her head so she'd give you what you wanted."

Belleza shook her head. "I assure you, that was not my initial intention. I _was_ planning to give him back at first. But once we found out what he'd been keeping from us…" she shrugged. "My hands were tied."

Drachma rolled his eye and made for the body of the Lynx, evidently having had enough conversation. Vyse watched him go. "What was he keeping from you?"

"That's classified." Belleza said stiffly.

Vyse set a hand on his hip and glanced back at the Little Jack. "You're not in much of a position to argue."

Belleza's shoulders sagged. Today was going to be a real hit to her dignity. "Very well…"

* * *

Narissa woke up. She hadn't particularly expected to. Her eyes were still closed, and her eyelids felt heavy. She could feel a nasty stinging from her chest, but it no longer screamed with pain as it had after she'd been cut. Breathing still made it ache, though. She focused on taking shallow, steady breaths, and opened her eyes.

Someone was leaning over her. Orange hair dangled a few inches from her nose. "Finally, you're awake."

Narissa smiled as best she could, given the circumstances. "Hi, Aika."

Aika, for her part, looked almost dispassionate as she surveyed the girl lying on the bed before her. Narissa thought she spied a hint of relief, but soon after dismissed it as wishful thinking. "Whatever that anti-magic trick you pulled was, it apparently took a lot out of you. You were out for a whole day." She crossed her arms over her chest as she gave Narissa an assessing look.

Narissa breathed out slowly through her nose. "Right… what happened? I'm not tied up, so I'm assuming you got away from the Valuans."

A nod. Aika's hair moved a lot more when she let it down like this, Narissa reflected. "Cap'n Drachma shot them down with the ship's new harpoon cannon. We took their supplies and engine and we've been drifting around the stone reef since, waiting on you."

Narissa blinked her eyes. "Waiting on me?"

The door to the little room they occupied opened to admit Vyse. "Oh! She's awake?" He strolled over and sat down in the seat next to Aika's. "Great. We've got some questions for you."

Aika spared him a slightly annoyed glance before nodding at Narissa. "You need to tell us where the red crystal is."

Narissa froze, her eyes flitting between Vyse and Aika. "I…"

Vyse leaned forward in his seat, assessing the girl with newfound interest. "You have something to do with it, don't you? There's more to you than meets the eye."

Narissa sighed. Part of her wanted to keep secrets no matter the cost, but the rational part of her mind quickly reminded her that she had precious few people to depend upon now - and these people in particular seemed more than worthy of trust by now. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Vyse and Aika glanced at one another. Both nodded, almost in unison. "Tell us. No more secrets, Narissa." Aika's tone brooked no disagreement.

Narissa nodded, too, and slowly sat up, leaning against the wall behind her bed. She set her hands in her lap, staring down at them as she spoke. "In truth, I stole the red crystal from the temple where it rested, and hid it. I didn't want it going to the Valuans." She slowly lifted her gaze to first Vyse's eyes, then Aika's. "I'm descended from a family that was tasked with protecting the temple and the crystal."

Vyse crossed his arms over his chest, looking like he was deep in thought. "Is that why you know how to fight?"

Narissa paled a little and looked down again. "Barely. I know just enough magic and martial arts to defend myself against a common looter. But against Valuan soldiers…" She eyed Aika. "Had you not helped me, I'd probably be dead."

Aika shrugged. "No sense dwelling on it." The frown that creased her features made it difficult to read the feelings behind it.

"So, was your father a temple guardian too?" Vyse asked curiously.

Narissa took a long moment to answer. "Yes. I still haven't found him…"

Vyse reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. "I gathered some information from Belleza when she was grounded." Narissa gave him a hopeful look, to which he grimaced. "Apparently, they took him back to Valua when they discovered artifacts related to the temple in his possession…"

Narissa's shoulders slumped. "Valua…"

Vyse's hand squeezed her shoulder. "People have escaped before." He winked at her. "Don't lose hope."

She gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Right…"

Aika drummed her fingers on the edge of her chair as she watched them. Her eyebrow twitched, once. "So where's the crystal?"

Narissa flinched at the sharpness in her tone. "I buried it in an oasis in the southwestern desert. But… are you sure you need it? It could be safe there."

"There's no telling what means of detecting it Valua has at its disposal." Vyse warned. "It's better off with us, at least until Valua stops pursuing the crystals."

Narissa took most of a minute to consider before she responded. "Alright. I'll lead you to it."

* * *

The Little Jack descended slowly over a relatively barren stretch of desert. A few scattered trees here and there were the only things to break up the landscape. Almost as soon as it touched down, three people disembarked. Aika turned around to call up to Vyse. "Make sure the cap'n doesn't ditch us this time!"

Vyse grinned as he leaned over the railing of the deck. "Aye-aye!"

Aika grinned back at him, before turning to Narissa and Fina. "Let's go."

Narissa nodded. "Right… it's not far from here…" she closed her eyes, and the faint tingle of magic filled the air. When she opened them again, her gaze was unfocused, and she began walking in a straight line towards one of the nearer trees.

Fina and Aika exchanged a look before following her. Narissa said nothing as she went, leaving the trio in a slightly awkward silence on their way to their destination. Eventually Narissa came to a stop a few steps from the tree. "Here." She said quietly, tapping the sand beneath her with the tip of one shoe.

Aika slung the little shovel she'd brought with them out of her pack and went to work digging, piling up sand to one side of the indicated spot. "How deep?" She asked.

"Not too far down… maybe four feet?"

Aika sighed as she hurried up. "At least it's sand and not dirt." She wasn't sure how long it took, but her shoulders were definitely starting to grow uncomfortable when her shovel at last struck something solid. She set it aside as she started digging the item out with her hands, eventually liberating a small wooden chest from the sandy hole in the ground. Aika gave it a cursory examination before trying and failing to open it. "Locked."

Narissa reached out with both hands. "Another precaution. I can open it for you." Aika gave her a look before handing it over. Narissa pressed two fingers to the latch on the front of the box and closed her eyes. A moment later, it let out an audible click, and she passed it back to Aika. "There…"

Aika stared at the chest in her hands. It wasn't very heavy or special-looking. Was this really what they'd been searching for? She slowly opened the lid and was greeted by a shimmering, radiant red light that bathed her cheeks in crimson. "It's beautiful…" she turned her head to look questioningly at Fina. "Is this it?"

Fina gingerly reached into the box to retrieve the shining red crystal. It was shaped like a triangular pyramid, and fit neatly in her two hands. "There is no mistaking it. This is the red moon crystal." She looked up at Narissa with wide eyes. "I can't believe you managed to steal it from the temple all by yourself. I've heard that place is filled with traps and monsters."

Narissa smiled sheepishly. "Filled with secret passageways, too."

Aika leaned over the crystal in Fina's hands, her eyes sparkling with reflected red light. "I have to wonder how much a stone this beautiful would sell for."

Both Narissa and Fina gave her an incredulous look. She glanced quickly from one to the other. "What? I'm a pirate." She said defensively. "I'm not _actually_ going to sell it…"

Fina giggled. Narissa smiled a little. "Let's head back to the ship."

* * *

"What do you want to do when you grow up?"

The little girl smiled mischievously. "I want to be a great fighter like you! Fast and strong and brave!"

Rami chuckled at her childish enthusiasm, shaking his head. "Surely you have other aspirations? Being good in a fight is useful, but it can't be your sole purpose in life. What do you want to _do?_ To _be?_ " He asked as he sat in front of her.

She looked confused for a moment, as if she'd never given the question much thought. The expression didn't last long, however, and was soon replaced with another bright smile. "I want to help people! I want to be famous, and popular, and I want to be the girl people turn to when they're in trouble."

The young man grinned at her. "That's quite a goal."

She beamed right back at him. "Papa says I can do anything I set my mind to." She leaned forward, closer to him, and spoke in a comically conspiratorial whisper. "I also kinda want to try being a pirate."

Rami blinked, then gave her a bemused look. "I'm sure no matter what you set out to do, you'll get where you want to be eventually." He reached out and mussed her hair with one hand. She pouted at him. She always hated being treated as a child. "C'mon. You can help me finish my latest model." Her smile returned like it had never left.

"Fine, but you have to let me cut some of the pieces this time!"

Rami closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the girl was gone. Instead, he was staring out at mid ocean through the curtain of dark fog that perpetually surrounded Valua. His name was not Rami, either, but Ramirez. He sighed and leaned on the railing in front of him as he tried to organize his thoughts. At least out here, outside the fortress, he could be alone.

 _Piastol..._ he thought. _What have I done to you?_ The bleak skies of mid ocean offered him little solace. Whether he'd meant them to or not, his actions seven years ago had taken that little girl's dreams and twisted them into nightmares. He'd pictured her becoming nobility, or an admiral in her own right, or maybe even a blue rogue. But this…

His silvery eyes went distant as he lost himself in his conflicted feelings. He was unaware he was being approached until a gentle hand set upon his shoulder. He whirled around, eyes wide as his hand went to the hilt of his sword, only to come face to face with admiral Dulcinea, offering him a quizzically-arched eyebrow. "Not like you to sulk." She mused aloud, evidently unperturbed by his reaction.

He forced himself to let the tension out of his shoulders, and his hand fell away from the weapon at his side. "No, I suppose it's not." His own voice surprised him a little. He didn't feel nearly as calm as he sounded.

Dulcinea leaned sideways on the railing as she glanced out at the view he'd been taking in not moments ago. "Hell of a place to go for some peace and quiet. I had to clamber through a cannon to find you here." She turned her gaze back to him, her eyes betraying a seriousness that her posture did not. "You planning to tell me what's going on?"

Ramirez had to wonder how she'd thought to look for him here in the first place. He'd been fairly certain nobody outside of maintenance workers would ever come here. _Then again, she was the commander of the fortress for years…_ he shook his head and set aside his thoughts. "It's not important."

She gave him a flat look. "If it's enough to put _you_ in a funk, it's probably important."

Ramirez gave her the faintest hint of a humorless smile. "I met someone that I used to know. They're not doing well."

"There's got to be more to it than that." Dulcinea insisted.

He looked away from her as he nodded. "She was like a little sister to me. I was excited to see her grow up strong and happy. Now… now she's a deluded mess, and it's mostly my fault."

Dulcinea was silent for a long time. "Do you want to talk details, or…?" Ramirez shook his head. She sighed. "Whatever you did to this girl, there's no sense dwelling on it. She was your family then, but you've got a new family now."

Ramirez turned his head to scoff at her. "Are you including yourself in that 'family'?"

She rolled her eyes. "A hated stepmother is still family."

Ramirez let out an amused breath and nodded. "Fair point." He shrugged. "I'll get past this eventually. Thank you for coming to find me."

Dulcinea adjusted her spectacles. "Sure, but that's not the only reason I found you. I've got work for you, admiral Ramirez."

"Work?"

"Work." She said, rapping her knuckles once on the railing. "Lord Galcian wants to task you with an invasion plan. It's a big one."

Ramirez was already starting to feel more in his element. "I will not fail him. Where will this invasion be staged?"

Dulcinea gave him a deadly serious look. "There's only one place in the world that can still stand up to Valua…"

* * *

"Nasrad…" Narissa sighed as she peered out at the distant sight of the south Dannel Strait. It would be a few hours until they arrived, but once they were there, she would be safe to recover in peace, away from Valua's reach.

She wasn't happy, though. Her father was trapped in Valua. She was leaving behind her home in Maramba, and her duties as a guardian. What purpose would she be left with? And then there was…

"Don't look so gloomy." Narissa flinched as she turned around to find Aika standing on the deck behind her, arms crossed as she met her gaze. "It doesn't look good on you at all."

Narissa smiled the best she could. "Sorry."

Aika shook her head. "And stop apologizing. You messed up plenty, but I think you've proven by now that you're not out to get us. Maybe a little naive, but…" she shrugged as she strolled over to Narissa. "So, what were you thinking about?"

Narissa still felt a little guilty, talking casually with Aika. She tried to swallow her discomfort, and mostly succeeded. "Just Nasrad. You and Vyse were right that I'd probably be safe there. I just don't know what I'm going to do once I'm there."

Aika smirked at her. "Start by giving yourself time to heal up. That wound of yours isn't going to get any better if you don't let it. After that…" the redheaded pirate eyed Narissa critically, almost assessing her on the spot. "You could always start telling fortunes."

Narissa stifled a giggle. "I could, though I can't imagine too many people would be willing to pay to watch me stare hopelessly at a bunch of cards."

Aika tapped her temple with one fingertip. "It's all in the act, how you sell it. Vyse's mom used to be a swindler, you know? She always told me the greatest skill she developed was the confidence to convince people she knew what she was doing."

"I'm not sure I want to fleece people, though…" Nonetheless, Narissa smiled sincerely this time. "It'd be nice to meet her sometime, though. I'd like to see where you come from."

Aika gave her an amused look. "I guess I do owe you a tour. Maybe once Vyse and I are done with this adventure."

Narissa nodded quickly. "Right, of course." She glanced toward the windows of the helm, above them, where she guessed Vyse would be. "I'm, ah, sorry if this is prying, but…"

Aika's expression turned quizzical. Narissa began to wonder why she was asking. "Are you and Vyse…" she sighed as she struggled for words, making several half-formed gestures. "Together?"

Aika blinked once, then twice before quickly shaking her head. "What? No." Her cheeks turned faintly pink. "I mean, he's great, and probably my best friend, and…"

She saw the look on Narissa's face and set her own in her palms. "Moons above…" Aika swore. "No. Vyse and I are not… together."

Narissa squirmed in place, well aware she'd struck a nerve. "I'm sorry… no, I mean… thank you for clarifying that! I know it was probably awkward, so…"

Aika waved her hands dismissively, evidently hoping to be rid of the topic as quickly as possible. "Aaaanyways! Uh, so, you're pretty good with magic, huh? I don't think I've ever seen someone deflect magic before."

Narissa perked up quickly at the change of topic, grateful for the chance to talk about something easier for her. "Oh, that! It's a very old spell devised by some of the original temple guardians. It protects the temple itself from the elements, and it can protect an individual caster from elemental magic of most sorts."

Aika nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "Huh. That sounds… super useful. I'm a little jealous."

Narissa gave her a sheepish smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I could try to teach it to you, if you like?"

Aika's smile returned. "I was kind of hoping you'd offer…"

* * *

A banging on the door of the cabin stirred Piastol from her thoughts. She sighed as she got out of her little cot and headed over to the door. It opened to reveal the familiar figure of Lawrence staring at her from the other side. "Piastol! Why didn't you tell me you were back in port? I had to find out second hand at the sailor's guild!"

Piastol gave him a flat look. "Go away, Lawrence." She tried to slam the door in his face, but he caught it on his foot. She growled and put more pressure on it.

"What are you doing?" He snapped, setting a hand on the inside of the door and pressing back against her efforts. "Maybe you don't care about me, but surely you at least care about Deathhound?"

Piastol flinched, and finally stopped trying to shut the door. She didn't bother to open it the rest of the way, though. "I do… I care about both of you, but…" She closed her eyes as they started to sting. She had no idea what she wanted to say after being holed up on her ship for two days. Everything was still upside-down. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Lawrence was already starting to look uncomfortable. "Do you need to talk about it?"

She gave him a searching look, then shook her head. "Did you bring Deathhound?"

She could immediately see the relief on his face as he nodded. "Here, boy." He called as he turned his head. The thudding of heavy paws sounded across the deck outside before Deathhound's shaggy green visage appeared before the opening in the doorway. He panted excitedly as he saw her.

Piastol knelt in the doorway as he trotted over to her. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It's good to see you again." She pulled away to give him a serious look. "Lawrence treated you well while I was away, right?" Deathhound continued panting, then turned his gaze up to the man in question. Piastol followed suit soon after, giving him a small smile. "Looks like you've got the seal of approval."

Lawrence almost smiled. "Glad to hear it. I hope you'll feel better soon, Piastol. I'll leave you to it." He turned to leave with a wave of his hand.

"Thanks, Lawrence." She already felt a little better.

* * *

Belleza wiped sweat from her face with her sleeve as she trudged through the sands of Nasr towards the little town visible in the distance. "Now that I know the size of the desert, I mostly find myself wishing it were smaller." She snarked breathlessly.

"Such has been the wish of many a traveler, admiral." Damian said from behind her. "Sadly, wishes of such magnitude do not often come true."

Thalia took a swig from her waterskin. "You think they'll have the parts to build an engine there? Or be willing to part with them?" She didn't feel at all like discussing the desert.

"They have to." Belleza squinted against the sunlight. "We need to get out of here and report back."

"I don't think the world itself answers to the will of Lord Galcian, Bella." Thalia teased.

Belleza scowled at her over her shoulder. She'd managed to remind her of both Galcian and Enrique in the same breath. "Just be quiet, won't you? We need to save our breath, anyways."

"You were the one who spoke up first, admiral." Damian reminded her.

Belleza sighed and rubbed at her forehead with one palm. "Yeah, well, I'm also the one who's going to speak last." Damian and Thalia exchanged a silent glance before nodding. The trio trudged onwards.

* * *

Aika waved to the retreating merchant ship as it made its way through the strait, towards Nasrad. She leaned on the railing of the deck as she watched it go, until it became difficult to pick out in the distance. She was going to miss Narissa more than she'd expected to. At least she'd be out of harm's way now. She set those thoughts aside and went indoors to check on the bridge.

Fina, Vyse and Drachma were already there when she arrived. They looked as if they'd been expecting her. "So, what's the plan?" She asked.

Vyse glanced at Drachma. "First of all, cap'n. Are you sticking around this time?"

Drachma let out a hearty harrumph. "Considering you've probably managed to get my name and face plastered over every wanted bulletin in Valua, I imagine I'm gonna be stuck with you brats for the time being."

Aika grinned at him. "Aw. You really do like us." He glared at her, only confirming her suspicions.

Vyse smiled and nodded before turning up Fina. "Where are we headed next, then?"

Fina closed her eyes as she briefly consulted her knowledge of the crystals. "From what I understand, the nearest crystal would be in the lands under the green moon, west of Nasr."

Vyse's jaw dropped. "There's a land under the green moon?!"

Drachma nodded as he moved to the helm. "I've heard of it. The Valuans've apparently been poking around there for years…" he checked the gauges by the helm, nodding as he found the readings to his satisfaction. "We'll need to head through south ocean. Normally I'd call that impossible, but with the engine we took from that admiral lady…"

Vyse started talking excitedly. It made Aika smile, but she wasn't listening this time. She reached into her pocket and fished out a single card with an image of a strange fish-like creature gracing its front - "The Dolphin". It was a parting gift from Narissa, a last attempt at telling her fortune. She wondered how to interpret it.

She sighed and put it away as she moved to catch herself up on the conversation. It would be a long journey indeed.


	9. Changing Perspectives

Belleza felt frozen as she waited, silently, for Galcian to turn around, to acknowledge her. He always favored the window at the end of the Admiralty's meeting room, peering out over mid ocean. She'd just finished giving her report on the events in the Nasr desert, and most importantly, her failure to complete her mission. Galcian had taken all of it in with stony silence, almost without reaction.

She'd always dreaded disappointing him. He was known to be generous with those who impressed him, and terribly harsh with those who failed. She'd underperformed a few times before in his service, but this was the first time she'd truly _failed_ to do her duty. Belleza could feel a pit in her stomach as she waited still for his reply.

The smile on his face surprised her. There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he turned around to regard her from within his expansive black cloak. "Admiral Belleza, what would you say is your assessment of the pirates who defeated you?"

Belleza had to take a moment to collect herself from her surprise. She'd expect a chewing-out or worse. "Extraordinarily lucky."

Galcian nodded thoughtfully at her. "Lucky does seem to be an apt descriptor. Every time it seemed that you were going to triumph, someone else swooped in to save them." His eyes shut as his tone turned a shade darker. "A trend they also displayed during their escape from the Grand Fortress…"

Belleza felt herself at a loss. What was Galcian getting at? "Sooner or later, their luck will run out." She couldn't manage a better reply, given her failure. Anything to distract herself from that.

Galcian's eyes opened, locked on her. "That is yet to be determined. You say they took your ship's engine?"

Belleza blinked, then nodded. "That's right."

Galcian turned around and strolled back to the window. "Very well then. That will be all, admiral. You may return to your duties."

She couldn't believe it. No reprimand? No punishment? Part of her wanted to ask why, but instead, she turned on her heel and walked out. She knew better than to question Galcian.

Galcian smiled out at the gloomy Valuan skies that ever threatened to encroach upon mid ocean. He had a feeling he knew where these oh-so-fortunate pirates would turn up next.

* * *

The _Chameleon_ was not a pretty ship. From its dark green paint job to its bizarre structure to the curious mechanical arm that hung from the underside of its bow, it was a testament to function over form. Every little detail had been planned out by its owner, a symbol of his genius, his hubris, and his pride.

Today, that curious mechanical arm at the ship's fore held a massive red canister which regularly spewed flames into the trees below. The forests of Ixa'taka burned in the _Chameleon's_ wake, leaving only piles of ash and blackened dirt behind.

Vice Captain Jedin observed all of this from one of the port-side windows. It wasn't a pleasant sight, seeing so much greenery go up in flames. She didn't much like admiral De Loco's plan for uncovering the hidden city of Rixis, but she had to admit she had few plans of her own to suggest as alternatives.

Besides, it wasn't like De Loco would listen to her anyways. When she'd first been taken on as his vice captain, she'd been an up-and-coming engineer with stars in her eyes. She'd been expecting to help him change the world with new technology. Unfortunately, since joining the fifth fleet, her main job had been cleaning up after the admiral's messes.

She'd come to realize that while admiral De Loco's brilliance was never in question, his attention to detail was lacking. He'd never had an eye for the consequences of his actions, only for immediate results. The _Chameleon_ was one such example. It flew faster than many ships in the fleet, could take more hits, and could be fitted with any number of specially-designed weapons.

 _But,_ Jedin reflected as a blaring siren began to ring in her ears, pulling her attention away from the landscape below, _the damn thing practically tears itself apart at the seams every time we fly it._ She heaved a sigh as she made her way to the back of the ship. As soon as she opened the door to the engine room, she was hit with a wave of sweltering heat. She quickly removed her helmet before it could get any stuffier, wiping the sweat that immediately began to form on her brow.

One of her subordinates was quick to report. "Captain Jedin! Thank the moons you're here. That damned flamethrower is overheating the engines _again!_ " He had a look of panic on his face. "We don't have any purple moon stones left back here!"

Jedin winced as she glanced at some of the temperature gauges around the room. If the engines got much hotter, the _Chameleon_ was sure to sink. "Couldn't you have requisitioned some from storage?"

The frantic-looking engineer shook his head. "We tried. We were told the rest of the supplies were on lockdown due to our 'wastefulness'."

The vice captain pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers as a familiar headache began to form between her eyes. "I'll call off the lockdown order. Do what you can to keep the engines from overheating until then."

Her engineer gave her a relieved look as she departed the engine room, heading up a staircase on her way to the ship's main storage space. She could already picture the angry rant from De Loco that had gotten it closed off in the first place. _Why are you wasting all of our moon stones? What good are you all if you can't even keep the ship intact?! If you can't keep it running, I'll have you slapped in chains!_

She was about halfway there when the ship shook violently. She stumbled to one side, grabbing at the nearest wall as the crack of metal against metal rang out through the hull. Moments later, another siren, faster-paced than the previous one, rang out in the claustrophobic little hallways of the ship. Jedin blinked in surprise. _We're under attack?_

She could feel the ship veering off-course, hear the engines growing louder as they went into evasive maneuvers. Distant thunder in her ears could only be cannonfire from whoever was attacking them, but she had no time to check who it was as she raced for the storage area. The engines would need those moon stones now more than ever. She came to a set of double doors, guarded by a pair of confused-looking soldiers.

"Jedin?" The nearer of the two asked. "Are we actually under attack? In Ixa'takan airspace?" He looked about as confused as she felt.

"I don't know, but-" She was cut off as the ship jerked under feet once more - another hit. She clutched at the wall for support again as she grit her teeth. "...But we need to get some more purple moon stones down to the engine room, _now._ "

The two guards looked at each other uncomfortably, then back at Jedin. "The admiral's orders…"

"The admiral can go stuff himself!" Jedin barked. "Do you want us to go down in the middle of a flaming forest?!"

The guards stiffened before shaking their heads. "R-right. We'll start hauling every purple moon stone we have downstairs."

The other guard perked up as the two began opening the doors. "You should get to the helm. De Loco probably needs your help."

Jedin nodded her thanks before hurrying off to do just that.

* * *

Admiral De Loco was not used to things going awry. His was a temperament very sensitive to nuisances and unforeseen problems, and so it was that he'd taken every precaution he could think of to avoid ever having to deal with such problems.

So when the first cannonball rocked the _Chameleon_ and the alarm began to blare, De Loco was understandably upset. He could feel a flush of anger rising in his cheeks as he considered what he was going to do to the cretins who would dare to attack him, dare to scratch his precious ship.

"Lord De Loco! We're under attack! Looks like an unidentified… fishing boat? Just off the port side!"

De Loco slammed his fists on the console in front of him. "What are you waiting for?! Fire back!"

"We are, sir!" The report came back.

The little admiral growled as his fists remained clenched, aching still from the impact. "And turn the flamethrower on them, too! I want them burnt to a crisp!" A wicked grin split across his face as he considered the thought of his attacker going down in a ball of flames. The thought helped to calm him slightly.

Minutes later, a familiar face approached. "Jedin! Where have you been?" He snapped.

His vice captain's face contorted in a look of displeasure. "I was attending to the engines, sir."

De Loco turned his head to glare at her though his goggles. "The engines? Who cares about the engines?! We're under attack! You should've been here after the first cannonball struck us!" He clutched at the console as the ship shuddered under the impact of another hit.

Jedin glanced towards the front windows of the bridge, unable to glimpse their attacker. They must've been flanking. "Who's attacking us, sir? The Ixa'takans?"

She felt a tiny chill run down her spine at the unpleasant grin that crossed her commanding officer's face as he stared at the console in front of him. "No, no. Much better than that. Apparently, these are the pirates that escaped the Grand Fortress not too long ago." He chuckled to himself. "Once we kill them, Lord Galcian will be very pleased indeed."

The vice captain blinked. "The pirates?" She strolled forward to the front of the bridge, hoping to get a glimpse of their ship. Sure enough, off to one side she could see an old, green fishing boat keeping pace with them, cannons primed to fire in their direction. As she watched, the _Chameleon_ slowly began to turn towards them.

"Get ready to burn them out of the sky!" De Loco cackled from his console. There were nods of assent from the other officers manning the bridge.

Jedin ran the situation through her head. They were already putting strain on the engines to evade fire. With the flamethrower running…

"And, fire!" The admiral's voice was filled with fiendish delight.

"Admiral, wait!" Jedin called. It was too late, however. Fire spewed from the front of their ship, directed at the little green fishing boat directly ahead of them - and then the _Chameleon_ jerked, came to a stop, and began to sink.

The fishing boat veered out of the way of the column of flames, flying past them and out of sight of the bridge. "They're circling around behind us, Admiral."

"We're getting no response from the engines…"

De Loco sprang up from his seat, red in the face. "What?! Jedin, you told me you had the engines under control!"

Jedin threw out her arms in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry, sir! I requisitioned our remaining stock of purple moon stones to help cool them, but I guess they still failed under the strain…"

De Loco froze at the mention of the moon stones. "You _what?!_ " He was in the middle of beginning another reprimand when the ship shuddered once more under another hail of cannonfire.

Jedin shook her head and hurried to the speaking tube near De Loco. "Cut off the flamethrower and turn on whatever backups we have left. We need to retreat before they destroy our engines entirely."

"Aye aye, cap'n!" The harried voice of the engineer from before came through to her from the other end.

De Loco was in the midst of throwing a fit from behind her. "J-Jedin! I can't believe you'd go against my orders! You let the engines fail, you stole my moon stones, and now we're going to… going to…" He wobbled once on his feet, then slumped into his chair, silent.

Jedin stared at him for a long moment before turning to the rest of the officers on the bridge. "De Loco's out of it again. We need to retreat. Head for moonstone mountain with whatever power we have left."

The backup engines hummed to life somewhere far in the rear of the ship, and slowly the _Chameleon_ shuddered and began to move, pulling away and disengaging from the fishing boat. To Jedin's relief, they didn't give chase.

* * *

The upper portion of the Grand Fortress was quiet as ever as Belleza made her way down the halls towards her office, flanked on either side by Damian and Thalia. They, too, were remarkably quieter than usual, and Belleza was left wondering if her dour mood was somehow infectious. She was about to say something to break the silence when she caught sight of someone near the door to her office.

He was leaned up against the wall with arms crossed over his chest, head down. His outfit was remarkably casual for the Grand Fortress - not even a uniform. The only things that gave him away were the purple and gold highlights on his black jacket, and the distinctive golden hair on his head. He didn't seem to notice her or her lieutenants as they approached. Belleza frowned and waved the two of them to stay back as she closed the rest of the distance to him.

"What are you, a mercenary now?" She scoffed as she looked him up and down.

Enrique, prince of Valua, flinched and jerked his head up to look at her. Evidently, he'd lost track of his surroundings while waiting. His eyes fluttered once as he considered her question before shaking his head. "No, of course not." He glanced down at himself, letting his arms fall to his sides. "This is just more comfortable than the things I usually have to wear back at the court."

Belleza rolled her eyes. It was her turn to cross her arms now. "You've been spending too much time in Lower City."

Enrique's brow furrowed as he stared at her. "You heard about that, huh?" Belleza gave him a flat look, and he sighed as he lifted a hand to rub at his forehead. "What am I saying? Of course you've heard about it. You hear about everything that happens in Valua these days."

She gave him a curt nod before narrowing her eyes at him. "Why are you here, Enrique?" She saw him rarely enough these days, and most of their meetings since she'd joined Galcian's Armada had not been pleasant.

He pushed off the wall to stand up straight, staring her down. "I read the report about what happened in Nasr."

There it was. She could feel herself tensing up for a tongue-lashing. Enrique had never approved of her exploits under Galcian, and though she knew he would never use his authority directly against her, it still hurt coming from him. Even after all these years. "Yes, and?" She said, keeping her voice steady.

To her surprise, Enrique didn't raise his voice. Instead, he shuddered and looked down at the floor. "You went down in the desert. You could've died."

The tension faded from Belleza's muscles. This was… not what she'd expected. "But I didn't."

All the breath went out of her lungs at once as Enrique suddenly lurched forward to hug her, his arms going around her to hold her tight. She could hear a few urgent footsteps behind her, and she quickly raised a hand to wave Damian and Thalia off. "I know… but… just the realization of what could've happened… it…" Enrique sounded close to tears.

Belleza stood there, frozen, for a few moments as she processed what was happening. Then, slowly, she let her arms wrap around Enrique in turn, hugging him back. She still didn't fully understand what was going on. This was a far cry from the empty-eyed, distant, frustrated prince she'd been grappling with for the last seven years. Had her brush with death been that big of an eye-opener for him?

Eventually, he let go of her, and took a few steps back. "Sorry." He said, looking awkward. "I didn't mean to make things uncomfortable."

She quickly shook her head in response. "No, no. It's fine. I'm… happy to hear that you care, really. But…" She glanced over her shoulder at her lieutenants, who were looking increasingly agitated. "I think we ought to continue this conversation inside."

Enrique followed her gaze. His cheeks grew pink as he realized they'd been watched the entire time. "Yes, that… that sounds good."

Belleza opened the door to her office for him, and he shuffled inside. "Please stay out here and watch the entrance." She instructed the two who still waited impatiently for her. She thought she caught Thalia rolling her eyes, but the both of them nodded their understanding all the same. That was good enough for her right now. She stepped inside and shut the door.

She found Enrique looking around the room. As an admiral, her accommodations were better than many of those found in the rest of the fortress. An ornate desk, several bookshelves, comfortable-looking chairs, and even a painting of the imperial palace rounded out the office's furnishings. Belleza gestured for the prince to sit in the seat opposite her desk as she sat down in the one behind it. "I assume you didn't come here just to give me a hug?"

Enrique shook his head. His golden hair bounced slightly with the motion. "No. I got… a little carried away. I really am glad to see you safe, after what I saw in the report…" Those bright blue eyes fixed on her again, this time accompanied by a small, but sincere smile.

Belleza ignored the stirring in her chest as he stared at her, opting to give him a polite smile in return. "I understand. I'm happy to be here safe and sound, too." She gave him an expectant look as she finished speaking.

He leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands together in his lap as his expression grew more intent. "I'm starting to take a stand against my mother."

Belleza blinked. "You're what?"

Enrique grinned, and this time it was a touch more rogueish than polite. "I understand now that she will never listen to reason. She may as well be Galcian's puppet. At first I thought I was alone in thinking this, but…" He looked down at his hands. "I've been talking to others in her court. Her counsel, some of the heads of the noble families, even some of the guard… There are a lot of people who disagree with the direction she's been taking Valua in."

The admiral leaned back in her seat, looking skeptical. Sure, there were always going to be dissenters in the empress's court. Even Gregorio, one of the most decorated admirals in the armada, disagreed with her. But that didn't mean… "So, what? Are you going to revolt against your own mother? Stage a coup?"

Enrique's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "What? No! That wouldn't accomplish anything…" He took a slow breath and wiped a hand across his face as he searched for the words he needed. "It's just… these members of her court… they represent the people of Valua, rich and poor. If enough of the populace disagrees with her…"

Belleza arched an eyebrow. He did have a point. "I suppose it's _possible_. If enough of Valua's population stood up against the empress's warlike tendencies, it might be enough to sway her policy. It could even spread to the military, if the movement became widespread enough." She found herself genuinely intrigued by the thought.

"Exactly!" Enrique said. "If we could engender popular dissent throughout Valua, we could change the course of the empire without a drop of blood spilled!"

It was heartening to see the prince in such good spirits. She almost wanted to agree with him wholeheartedly. But there was a problem. There was always a problem… "I don't imagine you'll see that kind of sweeping agreement amongst the population anytime soon, though. The people of Lower City have more pressing matters to worry about day-to-day, and the people of Upper City may well _profit_ from another war…" She gave Enrique a sad smile. "Everyone involved, from the court all the way to the bottom of Lower City, would need a damned good reason to dissent."

Enrique, however, didn't seem discouraged. "They need a motivator. Someone to show them that this isn't the only way to do things." She thought she saw a twinkle in his eye as he regarded her with a confident smile. "Belleza, I think I have a plan."

Belleza finally sat forward in her chair. "Do you, now? And what is your plan?"

Enrique took the opportunity to sit back. "Actually, I think I ought to be getting back to the palace. I should start putting things in motion."

Her expression grew agitated. "Don't tease me, Enrique."

The crown prince smiled innocently at her. "I'm not teasing you, Belleza. But I would like to see you again."

Part of her wanted to scream. All of this intrigue, just to… "Please. We don't see each other enough these days." She wasn't lying. As irritating as it was to be denied the information she craved, she'd welcome the excuse to see Enrique again. Especially now that something within him - whatever it was - had changed.

She wanted to see what he could do.

Enrique stood up out of his chair with a nod. "I'll be back as soon as I can be, then." He winked at her. "I promise." With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Belleza alone with her thoughts and the fluttering in her chest.

She turned to glance at the painting on her wall, the palace where she'd lived with him seven years ago. The home they'd been making for themselves. Then she looked down at her desk, where countless confidential reports waited for her eyes alone. Atop the pile was a dispatch from Lord Galcian.

As she began poring over its contents with her usual methodical eye, she felt a niggling in the back of her mind. She had decisions to make.

* * *

Moon stone mountain was as busy as ever. Slaves toiled away in the lowest tunnels, machines buzzed and whirred away to maintain the security systems, and in the upper reaches of the mountain, admiral De Loco fielded the ceaseless accusations of an insufferable buffoon.

"I can't believe you let those pirates play you for a fool!" Alfonso laughed, almost in tears. "The great Lord De Loco, brought low by an _engine failure!_ " The blonde-haired admiral clutched at his stomach as he broke down laughing once more.

De Loco twitched and grit his teeth as his finger hovered dangerously close to the button that would activate the trapdoor underneath the floor where Alfonso now stood. It would be so very easy to feed him to a thresher… "I'll remind you, _Alfonso_ , that you fared no better against them. In fact, if I recall correctly, your _failed_ attempt at subtlety is the reason you were confined here in the first place." He retorted with a sneer.

Alfonso's laughter died out quickly, replaced with rage. "They blindsided me while I was capturing the silvite girl!"

"They blindsided me, too!" De Loco snapped. "And at least I didn't kill my own vice captain and abandon ship like a frightened crylhound!"

Alfonso's eyes narrowed. "You dare?"

De Loco rolled his eyes behind his goggles. "Of course I dare! We're in _my_ facility, you twit! You're lucky I let you stay here in the first place! I could kick you out in an instant!"

Alfonso opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. De Loco thought he caught a few tremors run through the blonde-haired admiral before he shut up and took a seat. "Fine." Alfonso said. De Loco smirked at him.

"Why don't you go make yourself useful? You can motivate the miners with stories of your family's _fabulous_ wealth. Or maybe you could go groom that disgusting beast you call a pet." De Loco snapped. He just wanted Alfonso out of his control room. Having him there was nothing but a distraction.

"What, I can't help out here?" Alfonso leaned forward, peering at the console De Loco was looming over. "What do you even do up here? You just push buttons and stare at screens all day. The miners are probably doing more than you are."

De Loco slapped Alfonso's hands away from the console. "Don't _touch_ that! This is very delicate machinery! I don't need your clumsy, greasy hands getting all over it!" He growled as he leaned closer over his console, glaring at Alfonso through his goggles. "Every machine and system in this mine depends upon my input. I made this moon stone mine ten times more efficient in my tenure here, and I did not do it by letting careless idiots fumble with the controls!"

Alfonso leaned back in his chair with a sullen expression on his face. "You're a terrible bore, De Loco."

"At least I'm not an insufferable fu-" De Loco was interrupted as an alarm went off nearby. He quickly hopped out of his seat and hurried over to a portion of the floor that had been replaced with glass. "Oh my. What's this?" He grinned wickedly as he spotted a group of four very familiar figures walking through the hallway below. "I'd hoped they would come. I _really_ hoped…" He chuckled under his breath as he hurried back to the console and began pressing buttons in a frantic pattern, leaving Alfonso baffled.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Don't you pay any attention, you oaf?" De Loco spat. "The air pirates are here! They've come to the mine!" The engineer giggled gleefully as he watched their progress on the screens, arming his traps one by one. "This entire place is a death trap for those who aren't welcome. Will it be the spikes? The crushers? The security bots? Oh, I hope it's the spikes…"

"The pirates are here?" Alfonso stood up, looking at De Loco with wide eyes.

De Loco gawked at him. "Yes, you idiot! Do you ever listen?"

True to De Loco's words, Alfonso seemed not to be listening. "This is my chance! I'll rout these filthy pirates and put myself firmly back in Lord Galcian's favor!" He turned and hurried out of the room, muttering something about getting Antonio ready.

De Loco watched him go, feeling some of his irritation finally fade with his departure. "Moons above, finally." He shook his head in disbelief as he continued readying his defenses. "Maybe I can get him killed, too…"

* * *

It was finally done. Piastol breathed a sigh of relief as she lowered her carving knife away from the small statue she'd whittled away from a single hunk of wood.

A small, flat base was impaled with the tip of an elegant-looking blade. The blade flared out as it drew nearer to the hilt, looking menacingly jagged as it pierced outwards into two pronounced spikes at the guard. She'd been unable to find a good means to paint it silver, but the weapon was still unmistakably his.

She didn't know why she'd felt compelled to make this. Perhaps seeing that strange sword wielded against her had branded it into her memory. The moons knew she'd had enough nightmares about it in the past few days. Maybe this would allow her to break free of that fear.

She picked up the little statue and bundled it up in some cloth before throwing her hooded cloak on and drawing it tight around herself. Maybe Loretta would like this, or maybe she wouldn't. Either way, she didn't want to hang on to this particular work of art. If need be, she'd toss it over the edge of the island.

It was raining as she strolled through the normally-busy streets of Sailor's island. _Normally_ being the operative word, she noted, as the streets proved to be almost barren today. Perhaps it was the rain, she mused. The few people she passed by on her way to Loretta's shop seemed bundled-up enough for her to guess that might be the reason.

The familiar jingle of a bell greeted her as she stepped inside the shop, but Loretta was not at the counter. Piastol frowned as she stepped up to it, setting her bundled-up creation on the countertop as she waited. When nobody came after a minute, she leaned over the counter and softly called out, "Loretta?"

Finally, she heard footsteps in the back room, and around the corner came the shop's familiar proprietress. She didn't look well at all, however. Her hair was frazzled, and her features fraught with worry. "O-oh… Emilia…" She put on a smile for the younger girl as she set her hands on the counter. "It's good to see you again."

Piastol's frown deepened as she stared at the woman behind the counter. "Is everything alright here?"

Loretta's eyes flickered to the bundle Piastol had brought, before tracking back to the girl's face. "...No, they're really not. We've been robbed. Me, and most of the other stores around here." She shivered as she stared down at the counter to avoid letting her customer see the sheen of unfallen tears in her eyes. "The guards can't do anything. I'm not sure what we're going to do…"

A scowl crossed Piastol's features. Pirates, no doubt. "What happened? Who robbed you, Loretta?" Her fingers curled up into fists at her sides as she barely contained her fury.

"I-it's this new pirate… I don't know where he came from, but he calls himself Lapen." Loretta's voice was raw. "Lapen the Loose Cannon. He's got this big, terrible machine that he rides around in. Guards can't break the hull at all, and it's got such horrible weaponry…" She swallowed uncomfortably, evidently frightened just picturing it. "He paraded through town, got what he wanted, and left. Said he'd be back soon…"

Piastol looked over her shoulder at the door. "How soon?"

Loretta shivered. "Later today, I think. I'm sorry, Emilia, sweetie, but I don't think I can afford to pay you for your work anymore…"

Piastol shook her head, letting her hood fall back to expose her white-and-blue hair. Her face was lit with anger. "Keep the statue. I don't need payment. I'm going to take care of this wretched pirate." She turned and headed for the door.

"E-Emilia?" Loretta called from the counter, looking between her and the bundle she'd left behind. "Please, don't. He's dangerous…"

Piastol didn't let the mousy shopkeeper see the vicious scowl that had spread over her lips as she pushed open the door. Rain pattered against her hair. She didn't care. "Don't worry about me, Loretta. This is the work I was born to do. The only thing I'm good at." She let the bitter irony of those words wash over her as she stepped out and let the door shut behind her.

* * *

The alarms had been blaring for what must have been half an hour now. Alfonso was slowly being crushed by an uncomfortable realization.

He was lost.

He'd always spent his time in the upper reaches of the mines, where De Loco's offices and the officers' quarters were. Down here, in the mines proper, he had no idea where he was going. He'd nearly fallen into traps a dozen times now, and he was about to reach the end of his rope when he caught sight of someone familiar.

"Captain Jedin!" He hurried over to the woman in question, who gave him a confused look as she leaned away from the speaking tube she'd just been listening to.

"Admiral Alfonso? What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be up top with De Loco?" She asked.

He quickly snatched her wrist, speaking to her frantically. "What, and miss my chance for glory?" He snapped. "You know your way through the mines, Jedin, and I don't doubt De Loco's been keeping you apprised. Where are the pirates? I need to get to them, now!"

Jedin glared at him, yanking her wrist out of his grip and rubbing it uncomfortably. "I know where the pirates are, yes. They're down in one of the lower levels, where the prisoners are held. They're freeing one of King Ixa'taka's men."

"Excellent! Take me to them! And hurry!"

Jedin stared at him incredulously. "What? Why do you need-"

"Just do it, damn you!" Alfonso barked. "And while you're at it, tell one of the men upstairs to get Antonio II ready and send him down as well!"

The captain glared at him, but nodded. "Sure." She leaned into the speaking tube. "Can one of you please take Antonio II down to the bottom levels? Prisoner level 3, to be precise." She muttered. A muffled voice came back to her, and her lips spread into a smirk. "Oh, is that so? Perfect." She leaned away from the tube to address Alfonso again. "Alright, everything's in order. Follow me, Admiral."

"At long last, sweet revenge…" Alfonso mused delightedly as he moved to follow her.

A surprisingly short walk later, Alfonso and Jedin stopped in front of a large set of double-doors. "This is it." Jedin said, gesturing to them. "The air pirates should end up in the room on the other side any minute now."

Alfonso rubbed his hands together with gleeful mischief. "Excellent! Now, where is Antonio?"

Jedin smiled at him. "The boys up top reported that Antonio II is feeling very sick today, and won't be able to make it." She snapped off a smart salute. "Best of luck, sir." With that, she turned to leave.

"What?!" Alfonso growled and grabbed Jedin by the arm, pulling her back. "You don't get to pull that with me, soldier. If Antonio isn't coming, then _you_ will be helping me instead."

"I… I don't know, sir. I'm not the best fighter." Jedin protested.

"Can it. You'll do." Alfonso hissed as he pushed one of the doors to the large room open, dragging the frustrated engineer along behind him.

It was an unusually spacious room for the mines. Almost completely empty, oddly. Alfonso couldn't remember ever coming here before. The floor and the walls were all done in metal, and he noted red stains on the floor. Perhaps he didn't want to come here again after he was done with those pirates.

Moments later, the doors on the opposite side of the room opened to admit four pirates, followed by an older man with dark skin wearing a robe. Alfonso scowled as he immediately recognized three out of the four pirates. He delighted in seeing the surprise on their faces as they caught sight of him, too. "Hey!" The red-headed pirate shouted. "You're that guy! That guy who tried to kidnap Fina!"

She didn't even remember his name? Alfonso could feel his eye twitch with irritation. He drew his sword, the soft song of metal sliding against scabbard echoing through the room. "I am admiral Alfonso of the Valuan empire, and for your trespass today, I will kill each and every one of you!"

The pirate with the blue jacket and red hair - Vyse, Alfonso recalled - Crossed his arms, evidently unimpressed. "Uh-huh. And who are you?" He asked, turning his attention to the woman standing alongside the admiral.

She looked surprised to even be noticed. "What? Oh. I'm Jedin. Captain Jedin."

Vyse nodded and set a hand on one of his swords. "I see. Are you sure you want to fight us, captain Jedin?"

Jedin stared at Vyse, then looked to Alfonso, then back at Vyse. "Not really, no."

Alfonso looked at Jedin, aghast. "What? How can you not? They're intruders! They're stealing prisoners of the empire!"

Jedin set her face in her hands. "If you would just think ahead, even once…"

"Enough of this time-wastin'." the older pirate in the back stepped forward and lifted a heavy-looking mechanical arm. "I'm punchin' a hole through that door ahead, an' if anyone's in front of it, I'm punchin' a hole through them, too. I ain't givin' the guards a chance to surround this room."

Vyse quickly set a hand on the man's mechanical arm, pushing it down. "Calm down, Drachma. We've handled ourselves fine thus far. I think we can at least humor this Alfonso guy."

Drachma glared at Vyse with his one good eye. "I am _not_ gettin' trapped in this mine because you can't resist givin' that fop of an admiral a fair fight."

"Why, you-" Alfonso began.

"Who cares if he's a fop? He's obviously got a stake in this. It's not like he'll actually win." The redheaded girl said with a grin.

"How dare y-"

"No! I ain't lettin' you ruin our escape! You idiot kids are always tryin' to get me killed!" Drachma boomed.

"Enough! You die now!" Alfonso roared, rushing forward towards Vyse. He didn't care if the man had his back turned. He'd have his revenge, come hell or high w-

A clamorous "thud" echoed through the room as Drachma backhanded Alfonso. The admiral went flying across the room to land on the floor with another painful-sounding thud. He groaned once, sat up halfway to stare goggle-eyed at Vyse, then collapsed. Jedin simply stared at where he'd fallen.

Vyse sighed. "Well, that settles that." He turned to Jedin. "Is that door unlocked?"

Jedin gave him a flat look. "Yes, it is." She slowly turned her gaze up to the concealed windows at the top of the room, giving a small shake of her head.

From a hidden chamber above the room, De Loco was throwing another fit. "J-Jedin! Leave the room! Now! Get out! I need to turn on the trap! Gaaaah!" He resorted to pounding on the glass as he screamed down at her.

The pirates didn't appear to notice. Vyse and his fellows walked past Jedin and the collapsed Alfonso on their way out. Vyse spared the engineer a small smile. "Poor guy." Aika said as she passed Alfonso. The dark-skinned priest was the last one out, and the doors shut behind him.

Jedin gave Alfonso a long-suffering look before walking over to him. "Hey! Are you alive?" She waved a hand in front of his face.

Alfonso's eyes opened, blinking deliriously as he stared up at her. "Wh-where am I?"

"Oh, good. You're not dead." Jedin said flatly. "Look, do you want to redeem yourself?"

Alfonso narrowed his eyes seriously at her, but the effect was somewhat diminished by the way his eyes rolled in their sockets. "Mommy?"

Jedin let out an exasperated sound before setting her hands to either side of Alfonso's head. "Moons, assist my healing." Soft green light emanated from her palms, flowing into Alfonso, and after a few moments his eyes focused properly on her.

"What… what do I need to do?" Alfonso said. His voice carried a note of pleading.

Jedin gave him a searching look before sighing and hauling him up and onto his feet. "Come with me."

* * *

"Loose Cannon" Lapen felt like the king of the world as he flew through the skies towards Sailor's Isle in his masterpiece of engineering. "Gunarm", he called it. One part tank, one part airship, one part drone dispensary. Ever since he'd completed Gunarm, he'd become the incontestable ruler of mid ocean's pirates. None before him had ever cowed Sailor's Isle like he had. His return visit would just be icing on the cake.

Gunarm slowly descended from the sky onto one of the docks that jutted out from the southern end of Sailor's Isle, and as soon as Lapen took a look around, he saw someone waiting to greet him. "Hello there." his voice, laden with condescension, boomed out from Gunarm's speakers, making him sound more like a machine than a man. "Are you my welcoming party?"

The woman in question didn't look welcoming. She didn't look like a guard or a civilian at all. In fact, she looked familiar. She didn't say anything, but instead stared at him with icy blue eyes, twirling a menacing-looking scythe in one hand. Lapen chuckled. "I didn't think so. You look more like the kind of trash I crush beneath my treads."

Gunarm slowly lifted one arm, the barrel of a massive cannon slowly sliding out to its full length to point in the girl's direction. "Any last words?"

A distant part of Piastol, in the back of her head, had to admit that Lapen's machine was impressive. She could see how he'd have cowed the whole island into submission with something like that.

But she didn't have room left in her heart for fear anymore. "Lapen the Loose Cannon, the angel of death has come for you."

Lapen's derisive chuckle was as mechanical as the rest of his voice. "Great. Die." The innards of the cannon's barrel blazed with yellow light, and half a second later a massive pulse of energy tore through the air in a line that left a massive hole in the wall of the town facing the docks.

But Piastol was not there anymore. She'd already dodged to one side and closed the distance to Gunarm's chassis, letting loose a flurry of arcing slashes with her scythe's blade against its flank. Unfortunately for her, Gunarm's hull proved quite resilient, and she left only scratches on its metal exterior. A massive metal arm came flying at her, and she ducked only barely in time to avoid being sent flying off the docks.

"Sorry, girlie, but Gunarm ain't some toy you can break." Lapen taunted as Gunarm swung around to face her. Piastol's eyes went wide as it lurched towards her, and she tumbled to one side. One of Gunarm's treads just barely caught her foot, and she let out a cry of pain as she stumbled back and away, hopping on one leg.

"Too slow!" That booming mechanical voice came again, and Gunarm spun around once more to slowly advance on the hobbled bounty hunter.

Piastol narrowed her eyes dangerously at the advancing mech. "Deathhound!" She called. Seemingly from nowhere, her ferocious feralisk pet dove on top of Gunarm's body, scratching, clawing and biting at its hull, eventually making an effort to pry open the door at the top of the mech.

"What the hell?!" Lapen growled. "Frocks, get him!" Three smaller, conical yellow machines poured out of an opening somewhere on Gunarm's back to begin harrying Deathhound with small blasts of energy. Gunarm thrashed about in an attempt to dislodge the pesky mutt, and it began to look like Gunarm was winning.

Pistol had her opening, however.

She'd begun studying silver magic a few years after the sinking of the Aquila. Something about it reminded her of Ramirez, and it had been a way for her to both hone her skills as the angel of death, and to remind her of who she was trying to emulate. Even now, years later, she still couldn't call herself a master of silver magic. But she was better than most.

She could feel the magic energy flow through her as she forced herself to a standing position, focusing on the distracted Gunarm. "Moons…" She murmured, letting the power fill her. "Eradicate my enemies!" Her eyes flashed silver as all that power unleashed itself, forming hundreds of silvery needles in a massive hemisphere around Gunarm and his frocks.

"Eternes!"

All the needles plunged inwards at once, ripping into the frocks and Gunarm's hull with equal measure of ferocity. Even solid steel couldn't stand up to honed silver magic. The frocks simply fell atop Gunarm's body and rolled to the ground. Gunarm thrashed back and forth, sparking and seizing, until at last it went still.

Piastol shuddered and fell to her knees, drained of energy. Deathhound hopped off the collapsed mech and came close to nuzzle against Piastol's arm. She could see a faint green light emanating from him, and the pain in her crushed foot began to subside. "Th-thanks, Deathhound…" She murmured. "But we're not done here yet."

She fixed her gaze intently on Gunarm's brutalized remains. She rose to her feet, hesitantly, and found that she could at least walk. That would be good enough. She covered the distance to Gunarm's corpse, climbed atop it, and pried open the door at the top before hauling a young man out of it. He was dressed all in violet, with short blonde hair cut in a punkish style. He was cut all over, but alive. He was lucky she hadn't been aiming for him, but for his robot. "Lapen?" She snarled as she held him aloft with one hand, by the collar of his coat.

"W-what the hell are you?!" He pleaded.

Those words. Always they reminded her of the first time she'd adopted her moniker. It upset her how often she heard them. "I'm the angel of death, and I've come to take my due." She said softly as she drew one of her knives from her belt, twirling it as she prepared to finish the job.

"Emilia?"

Piastol froze. That voice was familiar to her, not to mention the name it had used to refer to her. She slowly turned her head to look back over her shoulder.

Loretta was watching her. Not just Loretta, but surely what must've been half the population of Sailor's Isle had poured out onto the docks to watch her. All of them now stared at her, wide-eyed, as her blade hovered mere inches from Lapen's throat.

She turned back to Lapen to see him staring at her in raw terror. A few images flashed through her memory of Ramirez stalking towards her, poised to finish her off. Was this what she looked like then, too?

Piastol shuddered and let go of Lapen's collar. He promptly fell onto his ass atop the mech he'd terrorized the town so effectively with. "Loose Cannon Lapen…" She murmured.

"What? What now?" Lapen spoke in a confused, panicked voice.

Piastol took a deep breath before raising her voice. "Loose Cannon Lapen, I am hereby placing you into the custody of Sailor's Isle. They can decide what to do with you."

Lapen looked baffled. She didn't care. She turned around and hopped off the corpse of the mech before walking away. A trio of confused, but relieved-looking guards hurried past her to restrain the pirate she'd left behind.

Loretta looked like she wanted to speak to her, but Piastol walked past her on her way to her ship. She didn't know what to say yet.

Deathhound followed her as she disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Jedin's personal ship may not have been large or powerful, but it was quick, and it was quiet. It hissed through the skies of Ixa'taka, careful to stay in the pockets of mist that seemed to perennially haunt this region of Arcadia.

In the distance could be seen a familiar green fishing boat, and Jedin made sure to keep it in sight at all times as she traveled. Alfonso leaned over her shoulder, watching intently for lack of anything better to do. "Are you sure they're heading to Rixis?" He asked, concerned.

Jedin didn't look at him as she spoke, instead staying focused on her pursuit. "Where else would they be going? They want the crystal as badly as we do. The difference is, they might have the cooperation of the Ixa'takans."

Alfonso grumbled to himself as he leaned against the console. "And you suppose that will make the difference?"

The engineer scoffed. "Their ancestors are the ones who hid the damn city in the first place. If anyone alive knows where Rixis is, it's the Ixa'takans."

"I guess." Alfonso admitted. He didn't like being led along by the nose like this, but at this point he was willing to take whatever opportunities he could get.

"Look. They're descending…" Jedin pointed ahead of them. True to her word, the pirates' ship was making a slow descent towards the forest, diving between a trio of massive pillars of natural rock. "The jungle is particularly dense there. It'd be the perfect place to hide an entrance…" She mused as she set their own ship to begin descending, following the pirates' path.

Alfonso kept his mouth shut and instead focused on getting ready. Jedin seemed to appreciate this, flashing him a smile as she was allowed to focus completely on her work.

A few minutes later, the little ship set down in a clearing a short ways away from where the pirates had landed. Jedin and Alfonso waited in the hold for fifteen minutes more to give the pirates a head start before forging onwards into the forest after them.

It was a surprisingly short walk to the entrance. Once they were on the ground, it stood out like a sore thumb - a massive face assembled from close-cut stones packed together. Its mouth stood wide open to admit them. "The gates of Rixis…" Jedin said in mild awe. "I was beginning to think they didn't exist."

"If you didn't think they existed, you made a rather reckless judgment call in following those pirates." Alfonso said, amusement in his voice as he strolled past her. "Let's go. We don't want to give them any more of a head start."

"Right behind you, sir."

* * *

Rixis was covered in mist. Moreso than even the rest of Ixa'taka, the blanketing clouds made it almost impossible to see into the long distance. After the long elevator ride that brought them to the plateau where the city slept, Jedin was left staring once again as she looked around. "I can't believe how high up we are. The Ancients must've taken ages to build that elevator…"

Alfonso grabbed her by the wrist, tugging more gently this time. "Jedin, I know it's an architectural marvel, but we're here for a reason."

Jedin snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. Together they set out into the mists. Already, they could pick out a few fresh footprints in the dirt, and they began to follow them deeper into the ruined city. Jedin couldn't quite contain her fascination, and she spent much of the walk simply looking all around her at the collapsing city that the ancient Green Civilization had once called home.

They had ascended onto a raised terrace and begun to delve into the ruins of several old buildings when Alfonso heard a noise that disturbed the city's otherwise deathly silence. He stopped in his tracks, holding up a hand to stop Jedin, too. "Did you hear that?" He asked.

Jedin blinked at him. "Hear what? I was a bit distracted." She sighed and looked down. "Sorry. What kind of sound was it?"

Alfonso narrowed his eyes as he looked around. "Almost like the rushing of wind, but… not quite like I've ever heard before."

Jedin looked confused. "I mean, we're pretty high up. It's not inconceivable that the wind-"

"Look out!" Alfonso pushed her forward, and they both stumbled a short ways as a dagger whizzed through the space Jedin had been occupying moments ago. They managed to regain their footing just in time for a curious-looking figure to emerge from the mist.

It was clad in a red coat with brown pants, and its features were completely concealed through the combination of a large, flat hat, goggles, and a scarf covering its mouth. In one hand it twirled a knife with a rounded edge. Alfonso drew his blade and leveled it at the advancing figure. "Stay back."

The figure kept strolling casually towards them, twirling its knife. Alfonso growled and rushed forward, slashing at it, only for it to vanish and reappear a few steps to his left. It made an odd, distorted sound before tossing a small black sphere of metal at Alfonso's feet.

"Move!" Jedin shouted. Alfonso stumbled back in time just for a fiery explosion to bloom from where the little sphere had been tossed, engulfing a portion of the room from floor to ceiling.

Jedin contained her relief long enough to draw a flintlock from her hip and aim it at the figure. She pulled the trigger and her shot blazed towards its position, but again, it disappeared, only to reappear, this time behind her. It raised its knife, intent on gouging her.

Jedin got one step away from it before her hair stood on end, and the smell of ozone filled her nostrils as a crackling current of lightning tore into the attacker's torso searing much of its clothing and leaving it staggering and twitching in place. Jedin quickly drew a knife and rushed at it before driving the tip into its belly.

All at once, the figure seemed to melt away, its clothing falling into a pile on the floor. That same rushing of wind could be heard, this time by both of them, but nothing new materialized to menace them. Alfonso was panting when Jedin finally turned to glance his way, evidently having exhausted himself with his lightning spell.

"What… What was that?" Jedin murmured, looking around slowly, keeping a firm grip on both her gun and her knife.

Alfonso gave the area on last look around before sheathing his sword. "I'm not sure… a spirit? A puppet?" He shrugged. "I'm no expert on magic, as you might be able to tell…"

Jedin had half a mind to tease him about that, but not after he'd just saved her. "Thank you for the help, Alfonso." She said, bowing her head slightly.

Alfonso nodded somewhat jerkily, not having expected the thanks. He scratched idly at the back of his head. "Sure. Is there anything worth salvaging in the… remains?"

Jedin knelt down to inspect them, rummaging through the scattered clothing. A few seconds later she returned with a single black stone, roughly spherical in shape. She held it out to Alfonso, and he took it to inspect it more closely.

"What is this?" He asked.

"I can't really be sure, but it looks a bit like moon stone." Jedin offered. "But I've never seen moon stone be black."

Alfonso nodded. "Nor have I. We'll take it back to the others later. Maybe… ugh… De Loco can make some sense of it." He turned towards the direction they'd first been headed when they were blindsided. "Let's keep going. Those pirates are way ahead of us by now."

* * *

Piastol had once again confined herself to the cabin of her ship. After her fight with Lapen, _everyone_ on Sailor's Isle knew who she was. Without her anonymity, going outside was… terrifying, she'd realized. She didn't want to talk to all of those strangers. She didn't even care about the reward she might receive for capturing Lapen. She just wanted to be left to herself.

She couldn't even get to Lawrence with things the way they were. All she had had for the last two days was Deathhound. And while he was good company, she was starting to wonder if she might simply have to leave Sailor's Isle if she wanted to find new work. She couldn't face all those people. She didn't deserve their gratitude.

A knock on the door forced her to get out of bed. She fully expected to see Lawrence when she opened the door, and was surprised when it turned out to be Loretta instead. She was too surprised even to think to say hello.

The older woman looked simultaneously frightened, and firm in her conviction. "Emilia…" She said quietly, as if trying to break her out of staring.

Piastol blinked, managing to shake herself out of it. "Miss Loretta. Hello." She shuffled awkwardly where she stood. "My name is Piastol, actually."

Loretta drew her shawl a little closer around her shoulders to block out the morning chill. "Piastol, then. I wanted to thank you for stopping Lapen. Since his capture, things have gone back to normal here on Sailor's Island."

Piastol couldn't muster a smile in response, especially not when Loretta wasn't smiling, either. "Like I said… I was just doing my job."

Loretta looked confused, and hurt. "Your job… you are the one they call the angel of death, aren't you? The one who's killed so many pirates?"

The older woman's gaze was becoming painful. Piastol stared at her feet instead. "Yes, that's me. The angel of death."

There was a long silence between them. The wood of the ship creaked gently in the wind.

"I am sorry…" Loretta said, her voice quiet but surprisingly strong, "I'm sorry that you've put yourself through that."

Piastol flinched, then looked up at her again. "What? What do you mean?"

"I don't know why you killed all those people, Em-... Er, Piastol." The older woman frowned. "But I do not believe you are a bad person at heart. I've seen too much good from you to condemn you for the mistakes you've made. So…" She took a slow breath. "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you. Whatever made you feel like you had to kill those people."

Piastol balked. It took her a minute to find her voice. "You don't hate me?"

The shopkeeper shook her head. "I don't hate you. I'm not sure I ever could. But I worry that if you keep your current course, I may someday be unable to understand you."

A shiver ran down Piastol's spine, and not from the cold. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Memories flashed through her thoughts, one after another. Ramirez coming into her life. Ramirez teaching her to fight. Ramirez disappearing, Ramirez trying to kill her. Ramirez, Ramirez, Ramirez.

"It's all I've ever known how to do." And then another string of memories. All the times she'd had real conversations with Lawrence. Loretta's kindnesses to her that had kept her afloat for so long. The curious stranger in Valua. Vyse… "And now it's all coming apart…" Her eyes stung as she thought about her last conversation with Ramirez. She'd cried far too much these past few weeks.

A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder. "You will find your way if you try. I'll be here to help, and I am certain plenty of others will be too."

Piastol sniffled and kept her eyes on the floor. "I don't know… if I deserve that…"

The hand on her shoulder squeezed reassuringly. "Of course you do."

It was enough. Piastol stayed like that, slowly calming herself down and taking deep breaths. Eventually, she managed to look up at Loretta again, though her eyes were a bit red. "Thank you, Loretta."

Loretta smiled at her. "You ought to thank that Lawrence fellow, too. He's the one who told me where to find you."

Piastol smiled a little at that. Lawrence was still looking out for her. "That… sounds like a wonderful idea."

* * *

"I think this is it." Jedin said, pointing to a couple of floating platforms that resembled the elevators they'd been using to get around the city. "This is the only way forward."

"Then let's go. I want to see what lies at the end of these ruins." Alfonso agreed, and together they stepped onto the platform. Immediately it began to lift them upwards, drifting steadily towards the very top of the stone spire into which the city was built. They ascended through the cloud layer, the mist slowly fading around them, until at last they were at the very top. Before them stood a massive stepped pyramid, looking just as ancient as the rest of the city had.

"This has to be it!" Jedin said excitedly. "This must be where the green moon crystal is kept!"

Alfonso drew his sword with a scowl on his face. "Yeah, and those pirates have already beaten us to it. Look!" He pointed to the top of the stairs, where four figures were clustered together, staring down at fifth who was standing about halfway down the stairs leading up to the top of the pyramid.

"What are they doing?" Jedin asked, squinting into the distance. As she spoke, one of the figures at the top hopped onto one of the smooth slopes that flanked the stairs, quickly catching up to the figure that was trying to run down the stairs. The sliding figure leapt off the slope into a tackle, pinning the retreating figure under him.

"I got him!" The both of them heard Vyse's voice call.

"Come on, Jedin. Now is our chance." Alfonso hurried forward. Jedin drew both her weapons before following him.

"You there!" Alfonso called. "You're cornered now! Surrender the green moon crystal!" Up close now, Alfonso could see that Vyse had pinned down what looked like an Ixa'takan priest. The rest of Vyse's compatriots were just now walking down the stairs, giving Alfonso a confused look.

"You again?" Vyse asked, looking confused. "How in the moons did you get here?"

Alfonso glared at him. "That's not important. Hand over the crystal or you die!"

The older man with the mechanical arm pushed past the others to glare right back at the admiral. "You couldn't stop us last time, and you won't stop us this time, twerp."

Jedin leveled her flintlock at the man's chest. "Take another step and I'll put a bullet in you."

"Ah, so you've decided to take a side?" The man spat in her direction, but didn't take another step.

"This is pointless!" The redhead shouted. "We don't have the crystal anyways!"

"What?!" Jedin's voice was sharp with disappointment.

Alfonso grit his teeth as he looked between each of the pirates before him. "You're lying. You have to be lying. This _is_ the lost city of Rixis. This is where the crystal is supposed to be."

"I swear to you, we are not lying…" The silvite girl said. Alfonso fixed her with a glare.

The tension faded somewhat when the priest spoke up from where he'd been pinned by Vyse. "Th-they are telling the truth…"

All eyes went to him, and for a moment he froze up under the intense scrutiny. "King Ixa'taka… H-he discovered the ruins a while ago. He found the crystal and took it for himself, saying that the gigas would help us drive out the Valuans… He left me here to keep watch over the city."

Vyse's eyes went wide. "King Ixa'taka is going to summon the gigas?!"

"No… no, no, no…" Alfonso twitched as he looked back and forth between the priest, the pirates, and Jedin. "We can't have gone to all these lengths for nothing. They have to be lying."

The priest shook his head frantically. "It's the truth! He-"

His protestations were interrupted as the ground shook beneath them. In the distance, a massive beam of green light spouted forth from the jungle below. All eyes turned once again to stare at it. "The gigas! They're summoning the gigas!" The silvite shouted.

Vyse quickly got to his feet, growling softly as he stared at the distant light. "I can't believe they'd do this to us… We have to get to the Little Jack!"

"Oh no you don't!" Alfonso hissed. "You may not have the crystal, but I can still capture you! You're wanted for crimes against the empire!"

"Admiral…" Jedin protested quietly.

"No!" Alfonso barked.

The engineer persisted. "Alfonso, we have to get out of here. We need to mobilize the men and help Lord De Loco combat the gigas if we're to have any chance of winning."

"I'm taking you in!" Alfonso screamed over another tremor that rocked the ground.

"Not without a fight you aren't!" the old man matched him shout for shout.

"Alfonso, _please!_ We don't have time for this! Your men need you!" Jedin pleaded.

Alfonso's hands shook as he stared at Vyse. The pirate that had taken his pride from him. He could have his revenge at last.

"F-fine!" Alfonso forced himself to let his sword arm fall to his side. "Just go."

The pirates stared at him for a long moment. "Go! Before I changed my damn mind!" He snapped.

Vyse was the first to take the hint. He grabbed the redhead's hand before hurrying past the admiral. The silvite quickly followed suit, with the old man being the last one to go, giving Alfonso a glare as he passed by.

"You did the right thing, Alfonso…" Jedin offered, though she knew it wouldn't do much to calm him.

"Great! That's just great. Now how are we getting out of here?" He shot back, barely keeping his anger in check.

"I have flares!" Jedin explained. "I can signal to one of our ships, and they can take us to the Chameleon or the Cygnus!"

"Fine. Just get on with it." Alfonso growled as he watched the group of pirates board one of the elevators they'd ascended on. He kept his eyes on them until they were out of sight.

* * *

"I was wondering where you two had gotten to. It figures you useless prats would disappear just in time for catastrophe to strike." De Loco's voice crackled over the console at the helm of the Cygnus, just as condescending as ever.

Jedin bit her tongue. Alfonso did not. "We were following the air pirates! We found the city of Rixis! Unlike you, _Lord_ De Loco, we took some bloody initiative! And we'd have had the crystal if it weren't for King Ixa'taka!"

"I doubt it was _your_ idea in the first place, admiral Alfonso." De Loco retorted. "You're lucky Jedin has a soft spot for you. Why don't you keep her? I've had enough of her wastefulness."

Alfonso could almost hear the captain gritting her teeth next to him. "Listen here, you little…" He began.

"I really don't have time for this right now, _admiral_. I'm giving you an opening. Take out the gigas." With that, the channel to De Loco's ship closed.

"What was he talking about?" Alfonso said, turning to Jedin.

"Just… just watch." Jedin said, looking concerned. The both of them turned to watch out the front windows of the helm. In the distance could be seen the massive green gigas, Grendel, marching through the forests towards the assembled first and fifth fleets of the Armada. And off to one side, almost invisible for its smallness, could be seen a little ship flying alongside it. _King Ixa'taka, I presume_ , Alfonso thought.

Almost as soon as he'd noticed it, a massive yellow beam tore through the skies from off to Alfonso's left. It went wide, hitting about half of Ixa'taka's ship, but it was enough. The little ship began to descend towards the forest below, wreathed in flames.

The response from the gigas was almost immediate. It began clutching at its head, thrashing about from side to side. Alfonso smirked, then pushed a button on his console. "All ships, forward! Attack the gigas while it's vulnerable!"

He heard a chorus of "Aye aye!"s come through the console, and he could see his fleet gradually advance towards the gigas, the first round of cannonfire going out to pelt the monster's great green hide.

But this only seemed to have the effect of rousing the gigas from its stupor, and almost immediately it lifted its head, and sent a massive fist hurtling towards the nearest ship. It collided head-on, and the ship burst into flames as its bow was crushed inwards, sinking rapidly afterwards. "M-moons above!" Alfonso swore.

The gigas whirled around and delivered another punch to another ship, producing similar results to the first. Fifteen seconds into the fight and Alfonso had lost two ships already. Then, the gigas turned towards the Cygnus. It bent over and ripped a massive chunk of forest from the ground. Jedin's shout echoed around the bridge. "Evasive maneuvers!"

The Cygnus lurched to one side, but not quickly enough to avoid being clipped by the massive chunk of earth that went sailing towards it. The entire ship shuddered, but thankfully stayed aloft. "Damn!" Alfonso pounded on the console. "We cannot defeat the gigas!"

"Orders, admiral?" Came a voice from the bridge.

"Damn it all…" Alfonso growled. He punched another button on the console. "We have to retreat! We can't afford this many losses!" He leaned closer to the console. "That goes for you too, De Loco! I know you're listening!"

"You can run away with your tail between your legs if you want, Alfonso!" He could practically hear the sneer in De Loco's voice. "But I'm not giving up on the opportunity to test my moon stone cannon! I'll win this battle without you!"

Alfonso frowned as he cast one more look out on the battle, then glanced at Jedin. She looked about as lost as he was. He sighed and turned back to the console. "First fleet, we are leaving! I am ordering a full retreat from Ixa'takan airspace!"

Another failure. Another retreat. Alfonso slumped down into his seat with his face in his hands. "Am I doing the right thing?"

He could hear gunfire in the distance as he waited for Jedin's reply.

"I think you're doing the best you can."


	10. Sea of Gray

The hallways outside the sitting room were quiet as the young prince made his way through them. He liked to believe this was because his mother preferred quiet. It was a much better thought than the possibility that people stayed out of her vicinity due to fear. As he approached the entrance to the sitting room, he found a familiar figure standing before the doors, speaking in hushed tones to one of the guards standing to either side of them.

Admiral Gregorio caught sight of him immediately, leaning away from the guard he'd been speaking to and straightening himself as he greeted his liege. "Prince Enrique. I hope you are faring well this evening." He said with a slight bow of his head.

Enrique felt himself smiling already at the sight of the old admiral. "Uncle Gregorio. It's a pleasure to see you." He glanced towards the doors as he approached. "Though, I'm a little confused as to why you're here."

Gregorio nodded slowly. "My apologies, young prince. I was speaking to the empress about matters pertaining to the armada. I have a few concerns about the military's direction of late."

The smile on Enrique's face grew strained. "You too?"

Recognition flashed in the admiral's eyes, and he hesitated a moment before replying. "Well, yes. But my concerns are best not relayed here, and I would not wish to delay you. If, however, you do share some of my concerns - perhaps you ought to come speak with me while I remain in the palace. I'll be here a few days while I attend to business."

Enrique nodded his understanding. "Thanks, Uncle. I'll be sure to come find you."

Gregorio bowed his head once more before turning to depart, leaving Enrique with the pair of royal guards still flanking the entrance to the sitting room. Enrique watched him go, then turned to the guard the admiral had been speaking to. "What sort of a mood is my mother in?" he asked.

The guard seemed a little flustered. Perhaps he wasn't used to being questioned by so many important people in one day, the prince mused. "Oh… about average. Maybe a little calmer than usual?" He looked sincerely worried that someone would chop his head off for even speaking about the empress where she couldn't hear it.

The prince gave him the best reassuring smile he could muster. "That's good to hear, thank you. Please, keep up the good work." He offered, before opening the doors and heading inside.

His mother was seated on a lavishly comfortable-looking couch facing a hearth on the far side of the room. She was faced away from him, but her voice carried across the room to him all the same when the doors shut behind him. "Gregorio? I thought you'd said all you needed to say."

Enrique instinctively shook his head, before remembering she wouldn't see it. "Uhm, no, Mother. It's me, Enrique."

She was silent for several seconds, leaving him to awkwardly stand by the entrance as he awaited her response. "So it is. Come, Enrique dear. Sit with me." She said, waving a hand above the back of the couch without turning to look at him.

Already this was uncomfortable. He sighed and trudged the rest of the way across the room, walking around the couch to stand before it. His mother reclined comfortably on one arm of the couch, staring into the fire with a tea cup held in one hand. She finally glanced up at him when he continued to stand there without moving. "Well? Don't just stand there like a stupefied simpleton. Sit." Her voice carried the imperious tone of one who never questioned her own authority.

Enrique nodded and sat down on the couch, staying near the opposite arm so as to leave space between them. Teodora's brow furrowed in consternation. "Have you grown so wary of your own mother?"

"You know why I'm here, Mother."

Her eyes returned to staring into the fire. "I do, but you can't fault an old woman for hoping her suspicions are incorrect." She gestured to the teapot that sat on the table between them and the fireplace. "I don't suppose you'd like some tea?"

"Mother…" Enrique's voice was exasperated.

Teodora closed her eyes with a long-suffering breath. "Fine, Enrique. Say what you must."

Already, Enrique was losing hope of this conversation going anywhere. But he couldn't give up on her, not yet. "I think Valua has become too warlike. The armada is massive, and every other day I hear reports of our warships prodding at the Nasrean border…" He clenched one hand into a fist, raising it. "It's madness, Mother. So many people were lost in the last war. Why try to provoke another?"

Teodora didn't reply as she leaned forward, taking the teapot in her free hand to refill her cup. She lifted it slowly to her mouth, took a sip, and set it down before speaking. "Don't you ever get tired of saying the same thing over and over, Enrique?"

Enrique's face set in a scowl. "I can't stop myself as long as Valua continues to seek unnecessary conflict with other nations!"

The empress's eyes suddenly lit with anger. "And _I_ cannot halt my plans as long as you fail to appreciate all I have done for you!" Her voice was wrought with fury, an electric intensity that left Enrique frozen where he sat. "Everything, _everything_ I have done for this country has been for you! I mean to leave you a legacy of power and prosperity, Enrique, and I will _not_ have you _squander_ it!"

Enrique didn't respond right away. Teodora took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she composed herself, and when they opened again they carried not rage, but calm certainty. "I understand, my son, I really do. You are young and hopelessly romantic about the world. You think everything can be won with words, with kindness. But that is not the world we live in." She scooted closer to him across the couch, cupping his cheek in her palm. "I will never see you safe while you continue to harbor these delusions."

He stared at her for several long moments before shaking his head and brushing her hand away. "You're wrong. This world may not be perfect, but... that doesn't mean more death and destruction is the answer. A world subjugated by force is one that is destined to stay in turmoil forever."

Teodora looked disappointed as her hand fell to her lap once more. "One day you will come to see things as I do. I pray it will be soon. I do not want you to have to suffer as I did to understand this."

Enrique's face fell slightly. She looked genuinely hurt. "Mother…"

He was interrupted as the doors at the other end of the room opened once more. "Your highness!"

Teodora twitched once in irritation, before lifting her head and looking over her shoulder at the member of the royal guard who'd spoken. "Yes?"

The guard looked like he already regretted entering the room, but carried on anyways. "Ixa'taka… Ixa'taka has fallen. They summoned a gigas, and the first and fifth fleets were forced to retreat."

Enrique stood up immediately. "A gigas? In Ixa'taka?!"

A nod from the guard confirmed his fears. "These are… just the initial reports, of course. Admirals De Loco and Alfonso are being debriefed, but that's what they've said so far."

Teodora nodded her understanding. "Very well. You may leave us."

The guard looked terribly relieved as he shut the door behind him. Teodora looked up at Enrique. "Do you see now the cost of weakness, Enrique?"

Enrique gave his mother an irritable look. "One does not have to be weak to struggle against a _gigas_ , mother." He hurried for the door. "I need to go."

"Do not forget what we talked about today. Only pain lies down the path of peace." the empress warned him.

Enrique ignored her as he stepped out, past the guards and into the labyrinthine hallways of the grand palace. He needed to see Gregorio.

* * *

Normally, Alfonso might have felt at home in the meeting room at the top of the Grand Fortress, but not today. The way lord Galcian and lady Dulcinea stared at him expectantly as he entered made him intensely uncomfortable. He'd felt confident in his decision to withdraw back in Ixa'taka, but since then he'd been wracked with doubts. He'd left De Loco hanging. As insufferable as the fifth admiral was, he was a technological genius. Could he have won the day if Alfonso had stayed?

Having Jedin with him for the debriefing was only a small comfort. He wasn't sure why they'd asked her to come along, and the not knowing only made him more concerned. He knew why they might come after his head, but did De Loco's ire really extend to his vice captain as well?

All these worries broiled in his head as he waited at the end of the long table for either of his superiors to speak. Dulcinea sat in her usual spot halfway along the table's length, whilst Galcian stood behind her, to one side of her seat. Both their gazes bored into him.

"Lord Alfonso." Dulcinea said.

"Yes?" Alfonso couldn't keep his voice from wavering.

"Please relay to us your account of the events preceding the fall of Ixa'taka."

Alfonso blinked. They were willing to listen to his side of the story? After everything that had happened? He wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or worry even more. "Well, it started when Vyse and his pirates attacked moon stone mountain. They stole one of the prisoners and brought him to king Ixa'taka."

"We know this part." Dulcinea said. "What happened afterwards?"

"Admiral De Loco reported you both missing after the attack on the mine. Where did you go?" Galcian's deep voice rattled in Alfonso's ears.

It took him a moment to compose himself and speak again. "We, ah, went after the pirates. We pursued them in a small ship under the assumption that they were looking for Rixis, too."

"It was my idea." Jedin chimed in. "I just dragged Alfonso along for the ride. He seemed so… helpless?" She said, an awkward note to her voice.

Alfonso had half a mind to snap at her, but not in front of Galcian. He bit his tongue as Dulcinea stared at him with a bemused, almost disappointed smile. "Helpless. I see." Her expression quickly smoothed back into a mask of neutrality. "And you did find the city of Rixis?"

Alfonso nodded hastily. "We did! We explored it a bit, and eventually we found the resting place of the green moon crystal."

"Why, then, was the gigas able to be summoned by the Ixa'takans?" Galcian questioned.

Alfonso froze up again. "Well… it wasn't there when we got there. The Ixa'takans beat us to it."

"And then they summoned the gigas…" Jedin added, sounding pathetic.

Dulcinea sighed and closed her eyes as she recounted the facts. "You left your post at the moon stone mines to go on a wild goose chase following the pirates, then beat a hasty retreat as soon as the gigas appeared. Am I correct?"

"W-well, I wouldn't put it like that…" Alfonso mumbled.

"Your decisions were rash and careless, motivated by a desire for personal glory, and then your own safety." Galcian's voice was cold. "These are not the decisions of an admiral of the armada."

"Honestly… we expected better from you." Dulcinea said, shaking her head. "Especially after you got sent to Ixa'taka in the first place for less than this."

"In light of your continuing failures, Alfonso, consider yourself grounded. You may not leave the imperial capital, and your duties as admiral will be divided up amongst the remaining admirals until such time as you are deemed fit to return to duty." Galcian explained.

Alfonso felt a chill in his chest. There was no way it was this easy. "So… what, am I out of the armada?"

Dulcinea shook her head. "Nobody who knows what you know leaves the armada. You'll either shape up, or you'll end up in chains."

Alfonso didn't know what to say. He ended up staring at his feet. Galcian and Dulcinea, meanwhile, turned their attentions to Jedin. "As for you, captain Jedin," Dulcinea said, "Your association with Alfonso cannot be ignored."

"You don't need to punish her for my mi-" Alfonso was cut off by a glare from Galcian.

"Be silent. Captain Jedin, until Alfonso is deemed fit for service once more, you will be in charge of his rehabilitation. You, too, will be confined to the capital."

"You'll be given assignments suitable to the task of fixing your priorities." Dulcinea explained.

Now both Jedin and Alfonso stared at the floor. "Be grateful, Alfonso. Were it not for the influence of your family, you might already be imprisoned in the lower reaches of the fortress." He narrowed his eyes at the blonde-haired ex-admiral. "Dismissed."

A shiver ran through Alfonso as he nodded and turned to leave. Neither he nor Jedin could think of anything to say to one another as they each returned to their quarters.

* * *

Ramirez didn't know about Ixa'taka yet. He had been out of the capital for most of two days now on a special assignment: whale hunting.

Arcwhales in particular. They were normally quite destructive beasts, but the one that had been spotted over the Valuan mainland recently was particularly massive and frightful. More to the point, this arcwhale was familiar to Ramirez.

He still remembered that wave of cold washing over him, the controls freezing up and plunging him into the depths of the dark rift. That hateful creature had more than earned its comeuppance, and Ramirez was determined to deliver it.

So it was that he'd been patrolling the skies over the mainland in his flagship, the _Monoceros_. Thus far, he'd only sighted the arcwhale once, and it had beat a hasty retreat soon after his opening barrage.

Whatever else this arcwhale was, it was an exceptional member of its species. It was far larger and hardier than any arcwhale he'd ever seen, not to mention a bizarre shade of purple. But what was most strange about it was the fog that constantly hung around it like an aura. It was bitterly cold, and it limited visibility in the already murky Valuan skies to the point of near blindness.

That fog had been hanging over the continent on and off ever since Ramirez had started his hunt, and though he would never admit it to anyone (except maybe Galcian), it was beginning to unnerve him. Occasionally he would catch wind of the beast's distant cries, but still there would be no sighting. Over the last two days he'd had more flashbacks to his first encounter with the arcwhale than he'd had in the seven years prior.

"Admiral Ramirez!" The voice of his vice captain brought him back to reality.

"Yes?" He asked, maintaining his gaze on the windows of the bridge.

"Some of the troops manning the port side cannons report seeing flashes in the fog to the east."

Ramirez gave the well-meaning soldier a flat look. "You do realize we're in Valua, right? Lightning storms are common."

The vice-captain stiffened. "I mean… they think it looks a bit like cannonfire."

Cannonfire? "Is someone out here with us?" Ramirez wondered aloud. It was worth a shot. He turned his attention to the soldiers positioned around the bridge. "Take us to the east. We should investigate this."

Though he heard no voices of assent, the view from the windows slowly swiveled to the left before the _Monoceros_ began slowly cutting through the thick fog that had begun to blanket the area once more.

Sure enough, within a minute could be heard the sounds of cannonfire in the long distance. And then, something else. The arcwhale cried out - and this time, it sounded like it was in pain.

"The fog! It's clearing!" Someone called from below him. True to the soldier's word, the fog seemed to be parting in front of them. Ramirez was not ready for the sight it revealed.

A massive harpoon had embedded itself in the arcwhale's side. The harpoon was attached by a lengthy cable to an old-looking green fishing boat, which was using its makeshift tether to track the whale and bombard it with cannonfire.

Ramirez knew that ship. It looked almost exactly like it had back when it had broken out of the grand fortress. "Is that…?" The vice captain muttered off to his side.

"Move in close and prepare to bombard the ship." Ramirez ordered.

"Sir?" The vice captain seemed uncertain.

"They're pirates and known fugitives of the empire. Take them out of the sky." the silver-haired admiral snapped.

His tone brooked no further protest, and he received none as the vice captain quickly relayed his orders. The _Monoceros_ began to follow the fishing boat, quickly beginning to catch up to it with its superior propulsion. He felt a small vibration run through the floor beneath his feet as the first cannon fired.

A ball of fire hurtled through the air to tear into the fishing boat from behind. Struck, the boat wobbled dangerously back and forth as flames began to lick at its stern.

Another shot soon followed, tearing into the smaller ship's main mast and lighting the deck ablaze. "They're not disengaging from the whale, sir…" Someone reported from nearby.

What on earth were they doing? Ramirez was baffled. They didn't stand a chance of avoiding cannonfire while they continued to shackle themselves to the whale. They weren't even going to put up a fight?

"One more shot." Ramirez instructed. Moments later, yet another ball of fire went sailing towards the fishing boat, now close enough for him to make out some of the details on the deck. It didn't look like anyone was out there. The fireball tore into the front of the ship, splintering wood and sending fire everywhere.

"They're done for, sir." The vice captain reported. Sure enough, the fishing boat seemed to be on its last legs as the fire spread and its hull buckled. Still they persisted in hanging onto the arcwhale with their oversized harpoon.

"Sir! They're deploying lifeboats!"

No fight, then. They were just going to run away and hope to be spared. A flicker of anger surged through Ramirez, and it grew hotter by the moment. They would appeal to his leniency after taking Fina from him? After interfering with lord Galcian's plans?

Piastol's face briefly flashed through his mind, followed by Fina's. He bit down on the feelings that threatened to well up in his chest, drowning them out with his voice. "Fire upon the lifeboats! I want no survivors!"

"Y-yes sir, admiral." The vice captain seemed as uncertain as ever, but the gunners heeded his commands. The _Monoceros_ rattled underneath him once more as the main cannons rained fire upon the little lifeboats that slowly drifted away from the burning wreckage of fishing boat. "One hit…" The vice captain reported, "...and two. They're going down, sir."

"Excellent. Get after them." Ramirez commanded. The engines hummed farther back in the ship as the _Monoceros_ spun around to change course in its pursuit.

Then the arcwhale roared, and the fog closed in once more. Visibility dropped to a hundred meters, then fifty, then ten, until all that could be seen through the windows of the bridge was white.

"Sir! We've lost visuals of the lifeboats!"

"Stay on course, damn it!" Ramirez snarled.

"W-we're trying, sir, but… there's nothing to follow…"

Ramirez grit his teeth as he clenched his hands into fists. They were not going to escape him _again._

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind filled with white as he drew upon his training to calm himself. Their lifeboats were doomed. There was no way they were going to survive. "Very well. Bring us to a stop. We'll find the wreckage and their corpses once the fog clears."

And if they didn't find any corpses, Ramirez reckoned, he was liable to make some himself.

* * *

 _30 years ago_

Galcian woke up to an empty bedroom.

He sat up in bed as he realized right away how quiet things were. A glance to one side confirmed that nobody occupied the room's other bed. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as a headache already threatened him. "Okay, think. Maybe she just went to get some water."

 _Or maybe she's run away because she doesn't trust you._ The voice in Galcian's head was convincing indeed, and he swung his legs over the edge of the bed before standing up and grabbing his things in a hurry, grateful that he'd been tired enough to fall asleep in his clothes.

He hurried down the stairs to the entrance to the inn, hastening over to the counter. "When did the girl with the white hair leave?" He demanded of the woman behind it.

The woman stared at him in surprise. "What? I never saw anyone like that leave. Are you sure she's not still up there?"

 _She never trusted you. She was lying when she said she could heal you._

Galcian closed his eyes with a sigh. That confirmed that she wasn't doing anything innocuous. She'd likely have gone out the window, then. "Thanks anyways." He said, not bothering to explain himself before whirling and heading out the door.

 _You can't heal evil._

The streets were already busy with people despite the early hour, and he wove his way through the crowd looking to get a glimpse of white hair anywhere. When he saw nothing after a solid minute of scanning the area, he decided it was time to get desperate. "Lila!" He called, not caring who heard. "Where the hell are you?"

"Would you mind keeping it down?" A man complained from a stall next to him. "You're going to scare away my customers!"

 _Just like you scared her away._

"I don't give a basallish's bum about your customers!" Galcian growled, slamming a fist onto the counter at the front of the stall. "Did you see a girl with white hair run by here?"

The shopkeeper flinched, backing away to the rear of his stall at the younger man's outburst. "Okay, okay, calm down!" He pleaded. "Yes, I saw a girl like that. She ran off to the north, in the direction of the dhabu stands…"

"Tch…" Galcian fixed the merchant with a glare before turning and running off towards the north. The heat of the red moon beat down on him running around like this, but he wasn't going to let Lila disappear on him this easily.

The dhabu stands came into sight, and Galcian hurried to the top. The jovial man who normally stood at the top looked a bit out of it in the early morning hours, and Galcian considered simply hopping on a dhabu and starting his search. Still, he'd need-

"You should be wary of crossing the desert on foot, traveler. Under the light of the red moon, heat exhaustion can quickly become deadly." Galcian turned his head to stare, unamused, at the dhabu handler.

"Did you see a girl with white hair head out into the desert?" He asked, impatient.

"Why are you in such a hurry? There's no need t-"

"Did you see her?" Galcian leaned close and glared at the man through his glasses.

"Yes! I saw her. She took a dhabu and went north. You should really consider slowing down once in a while, sir. Haste makes waste when you live in the desert." The attendant said.

"To hell with slowing down." Galcian hopped onto one of the dhabus that waited by the stand. "Slow people die quick."

"You're one impatient guy…" The handler mumbled to the younger man's back.

 _Impatience is all that you are._

Galcian ignored the nagging voice of doubt in his head as he marched his dhabu past the city limits and out onto the searing sands.

* * *

The heat was even worse outside the city limits, and Galcian was sweating within minutes. Almost immediately he regretted not refilling his canteen before setting out. A bitter part of him reflected that the dhabu handler may have had a point about his haste. He could only hope he'd find Lila before the consequences caught up to him.

The horizon in the distance was starting to grow hazy, and Galcian was fairly certain that he was going to start hallucinating any second now. He wondered what he would imagine. An arcwhale surging up from the desert sands? Beautiful women? Three wise men? He couldn't hazard a guess, but at least the idle thoughts kept his mind off his discomfort.

Eventually, his imaginings gave way to questions. Why did Lila run? He'd thought that they'd come to an understanding. He'd thought she was starting to trust him, that he wasn't just wasting his time, the way he had been ever since he'd first gotten sick.

He thought she'd understood.

 _Perhaps you deserve to be lied to._

Galcian grit his teeth as he tried to think of some way to convince himself otherwise, but nothing came to him. He'd willingly made a monster of himself, thinking his days were numbered. Why _wouldn't_ someone like Lila run from him? Was he even right to be looking for her?

The shimmering horizon slowly gave way to the blue of open sky, and Galcian realized he was reaching the edge of the island. A gentle breeze stirred his hair, bringing him some much-needed relief from the heat and stirring him from his pitch-black thoughts.

And there, on the very edge of the island, was a lone figure draped in white, standing atop a slightly elevated mound of stone. Galcian narrowed his eyes as he tugged on the reins to slow his dhabu down. "Easy there." He murmured, and the beast took it slow as together they approached the ledge upon which Lila stood.

He glanced tentatively downwards as he brought his dhabu to a stop. He'd heard rumors in town that the sands on the islands grew so hot as to burn the feet of unlucky travelers. Normally, he didn't put much stock in folklore, but considering how bad it was already...

To his great relief, his feet did not immediately burst into flame as he dismounted. His boots did grow uncomfortably warm, however, and he picked up the pace a bit as he walked the rest of the distance to where Lila stood. "Lila! What the hell?"

The white-haired woman didn't respond as he drew nearer, and he stopped a few feet away, watching her. She was staring down, past the edge of the island towards the abyss of the clouds below. Loose strands of her white hair stirred in the restless breeze.

"Lila?" He said, less angry and more confused this time.

She turned her head to stare at him. "What?" Her voice was cold, and her eyes looked emptier than he'd seen since he'd met her.

"Why did you come out here?" He asked, taking a step closer.

"Why do you think?" She asked bitterly, before turning her attention back to the view below. Up this close, he could see her body shaking subtly.

He'd had his guesses as soon as he saw her here, but with the way she looked right now, he was fairly certain he knew why. He'd seen someone in this state before. He'd been that person. Oftentimes he still was. "You came out here to die." The relief he felt at that realization only made him feel worse in the moments afterwards. _My lucky break._

She nodded in a tiny, jerky motion. "Of course I did. I'm an abomination."

Galcian frowned as he took one more step closer. "You don't look like an abomination to me. You don't act like one, either." He felt a nasty little twinge of amusement as he added, "I'm pretty sure more people would be likely to call me an abomination than they would you."

He saw that tiny, fake smile of hers appear on her lips. "There you go again, presuming to know me. To know what I am."

Galcian gave her a long-suffering look. "I tried to ask you, but if you remember last night, you kind of backed out of that deal."

"Indeed." She said, matter-of-factly. "It seems I am incapable of keeping any of the promises I make." She gave the abyss one last lingering look before taking a few steps back from it and turning around to face him. "Even the ones I make to myself." Her pale eyes shimmered as she stared at him, hopeless.

"Maybe you shouldn't make such stupid promises, then?" He offered, taking a shot in the dark.

She blinked. It took her a moment to reply to him, and when she did her voice was confused. "What?"

"It sounds to _me_ like you have a bad habit of making promises you don't _want_ to keep." Galcian explained. "Where to begin, even? You promised you'd get those crystals for your masters when you didn't actually want to. You promised you'd tell me the truth about yourself when you didn't trust me in the first place…" He stepped forward and kicked a small rock off the edge of the island, watching it plummet through the clouds below. "And you promised you'd kill yourself when it's obvious you're not ready to die."

"I…" She began.

He whirled on her, arms outstretched as if to show her the whole world at once. "Let's face it, Lila. You're not some promise-breaking monster that can't be trusted. You just suck at doing things you don't want to do, just like everyone else."

She looked away from him, her expression irritable. "That is not the only reason I believe myself to be a monster."

"I don't doubt you still believe that." He rolled his eyes. "But I'm willing to bet the rest of your reasons for believing it are stupid, too."

He saw her twitch. "You are terrible at providing comfort."

"I'm terrible at very few things, Lila." He leaned close to her, peering at her face despite her attempts to avoid his eyes. "You don't look like you're crying anymore."

"No." She admitted, blinking her eyes a few times. "Now I just want to punch you."

"So punch me. I dare you." Galcian said with a smirk.

Her fist collided with his cheek faster than he could see.

"Augh!" He cried as he clutched at his face. " _How_ are you so _fast?_ " he slurred, fairly certain it was a miracle that he'd not lost teeth. Despite the pain, though, he was almost glad she'd taken his offer literally. He'd probably deserved that one.

"I was designed to be fast." She said, once again in that matter-of-fact voice. He heard a sigh as his vision continued to flash red. "Come here." Her voice was softer now. He didn't have enough pride left to object at that moment, so he just stayed where he was.

He felt her hand draw his away from his cheek before her soft fingers came to rest against the sore flesh. "Moons, lend me your aid." She murmured. He felt the gentle warmth of green magic flowing into him, and gradually the pain subsided. Eventually, everything stopped spinning, and he realized Lila was staring at him expectantly from a few inches away.

"I'm… I'm okay." He clarified. She nodded her understanding before taking a single step away, her hand leaving his cheek along the way.

Silence reigned between them for most of a minute as Galcian simply stared at her in awe, and Lila stared at her feet. Eventually her voice broke the silence. "I'm sorry for hitting you. And for leaving you like that. Both were rude of me." Her voice grew much quieter as she added, "I didn't expect you to come after me…"

Galcian sighed. He didn't know what to say to that. "Yeah, well, you can make it up to me. Somehow." He wasn't ready to talk about the healing again. He didn't want to find out it wasn't real.

She gave him a deadly serious look. "It is a debt I plan to repay in full."

"Great." Galcian said, before glancing at his dhabu. "We should get out of this desert. It's hot out here." He gave Lila a sidelong glance. "What happened to your dhabu?"

"I chased it off, since I figured I would have no more need of it." She admitted. For once, she looked a little embarrassed.

Galcian groaned. "I guess you're riding with me then." She nodded, and she climbed onto the beast just behind him once he'd mounted up again. Her arms went around his waist once he'd grabbed the reins.

She leaned over his shoulder. Her hair tickled his neck as he turned the dhabu around. "What is our plan of action?"

He ignored the added warmth of having her pressed against his back as they rode back towards the town. It was distracting in a different way than the oppressive heat of the red moon. This was a warmth he wouldn't mind feeling in different contexts. "We're going to find a ride to Sailor's Isle. From there, we'll track down the Mastiff, wherever it's gone to. We're sure to find a lead there. Maybe even a ship we can buy. Or steal."

He could feel, rather than see her nod as her hair brushed against his neck once more. "I approve."

* * *

The captain had proclaimed the _Firebird_ to be the fastest ship in mid ocean. Galcian had been skeptical, but the price had convinced him. If it was the cheapest ride to Sailor's Isle, he didn't care if the captain was a dirty liar.

Galcian leaned over the railing on the deck as the ship set a course for Sailor's Isle. It had only been a day since he'd last set foot on the _Mastiff_ , and yet it felt like a lifetime had passed. His face contorted in a scowl as he considered all the horrible things he would do to Ayden once they caught up to him.

"You scowl too much. It makes you look ugly." Lila chastised him as she appeared, leaning against the railing next to him.

"I've got plenty good reason to scowl." Galcian muttered, staring out into the seemingly endless blue that divided Maramba and the Nasr desert from mid ocean.

Her finger lightly poked his cheek. "Maybe so, but surly expressions will avail you naught in the grand scheme of things."

He turned his head to squint up at her, a little confused by her playfulness. "Yeah? And what would you suggest I do instead?"

She shrugged at him, giving him a bemused expression. "I don't know. You're the Arcadian. What do you do for fun?"

Galcian scratched his head. "Uh, drink. Fight. Dance, sometimes."

Her expression grew concerned. "I cannot picture you dancing, Galcian."

"It takes the right kind of music. Or a lot of loqua." He grimaced at the mere thought of it while sober.

"There you go sulking again." She mused. "Such a melancholy creature you are."

"I can't help it! I've got a lot to think about!" He protested.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, though she didn't quite manage a smile. "Then think about something else."

He pursed his lips as he regarded her dourly. "Were it so easy."

The playfulness slowly faded from her body language as silence settled between them. "Do you really think we will find the lead you need on Sailor's Isle?"

In truth, Galcian wasn't sure. "We better. I can't imagine that lot wouldn't make enough noise to get noticed once they got their ship back."

"I'm still not sure I understand why you _want_ it back…" She murmured.

"Now, now, what is an exotic pair like you two doing headed to Sailor's Isle?" an unfamiliar voice said. Both of them turned to find a slightly older man man in a red coat approaching them. His hair was a light brown that fell to his shoulders, and his handsome features looked like they'd only matured with age. Galcian guessed he was in his early thirties.

"That's not your business." Galcian warned him with narrowed eyes.

The stranger adjusted his delicate-looking spectacles with a disarming smile. "Ah, but I think you'll find that it is more my business than you think." He inclined his head slightly towards the two of them as he winked in Lila's direction. "My name is Stader. I'm an information dealer."

"Still not your business." Galcian repeated, not letting up.

"I might have the information you're seeking." Stader offered, apparently unperturbed. "Besides, it's just you two and me on board, aside from those oafs on the crew. Don't want to get bored, do you?"

"So you're an eavesdropper on top of being unwelcome." Lila observed. She turned to Galcian. "Still, if his information is good, it might be worth investigating."

Stader flashed her a grin. "Finally, a voice of reason."

Lila glared at him, and hers was a match for Galcian's. "That does not mean I trust you."

The information dealer shrugged. "Fair, fair. But please, tell me what ails you."

Galcian was considering the man's offer when yet another voice interrupted them. "We're about halfway to the stone reef, so I think it's about time we collected our fees from you three." The ship's captain said as he strolled over to them, flanked by two burly crew members.

"Fee?" Lila asked. "You were paid when we boarded."

The captain scratched at his scraggly beard as he regarded the three of them. "Oh, aye, you did. But this route is fraught with danger. All manner of pirates could come after us. Considering the risk, we've reassessed our terms. We'll be needing an additional 8000 gold from each of you."

Stader crossed his arms, arching an eyebrow at the captain. "Or what? I never agreed to that."

"Unfortunately, anyone whose fee we cannot collect will necessarily be classed a security risk and promptly tossed overboard." The captain said, smiling jovially as he gestured to his muscular cohorts.

Galcian was unimpressed. "So you're con artists."

More crew members seemed to be taking an interest, eyeing the trio and drawing nearer as voices raised.

"I prefer 'enterprising businessman.'" The captain said. "Sounds a lot better."

Galcian drew his sword, twirling it once. "I'm not paying your 'fee'".

"Nor am I." Stader said. He seemed to produce a pistol from nowhere, letting the end of the barrel stop just shy of pointing at the captain.

Lila said nothing, but as two silvery swords materialized in her hands, her response became clear as well.

The captain stared at Lila's swords for several moments before wiping the confusion off his face. "Now, now. This is just impolite." He turned and whistled to his crew. "Boys, please escort these _pirates_ off the ship."

The crew of the _Firebird_ ringed the trio now, drawing swords of their own. The captain disappeared behind them as his crewmates formed a wall that trapped them against the deckside railing. All-in-all, Galcian counted seven of them.

"I'm warning you. I'm not afraid to use this thing." Stader said, pointing it at the nearest crewman to him. The man in question gave him an amused look as he stopped in his tracks.

"Look out!" Lila called. Stader took a step to the left as someone dropped down from the bridge, aiming a descending swing of his sword for the space the information dealer had been occupying moments before. Stader whirled on him, the barrel of his gun tracking to the newcomer.

The crewman he'd been previously menacing took the opportunity to charge him. Galcian was on his way to intervene when Stader slid a knife from the sleeve of his coat, ducking under the incoming swing and driving the smaller blade into his attacker's leg. The man let out a startled cry as he stumbled forward and crashed into the ship's railing, just barely avoiding falling over the edge.

"I changed my mind, Stader. I like your style." Galcian's voice broke the tension holding everyone in place. Two crew members came after him, trying to pin him against the railing for an easy kill.

"Tch…" Galcian could quickly tell that neither of them was very good with their weapons. They were sluggish and imprecise with their attacks, and he made a game of seeing how many times he could evade or deflect them before deciding it was time to show them what actual swordsmanship was about.

He caught the next swing of a sword on the blade of his own, before producing his own hidden dagger from his sleeve and driving it into the unfortunate attacker's gut. He ducked under another attack from the other one still pressing him as the first man stumbled back, and he yanked his dagger free only to drive it into the other one's wrist before he could retract his sword arm.

His sword clattered uselessly to the deck, and Galcian once more yanked his dagger free before kicking his hapless opponent back. He ended up tumbling into the would-be assassin who'd cornered Stader, leaving them both on the floor. "Stay down or I'll put a bullet in you." the information dealer snarled as he steadied his pistol with both hands.

"Heh." Galcian's momentary feeling of self-satisfaction faded when he heard Lila cry out from the other end of the deck. He turned around to find that she'd attracted the attention of the remaining four crew members, and they'd just about pinned her to the opposite railing. How she'd managed to get over there, he had no idea, but by the strain he caught on her face between the frantic motions of the men trying to contain her, he knew she wasn't faring well.

A surge of anger rushed into Galcian's chest, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. He rushed forward and ran the closest attacker through with his sword before he knew what he was doing.

The man let out a surprised gurgle before collapsing. Galcian didn't bother to pay him any more mind as he whirled on the next nearest crewman, who'd turned to face him after hearing the commotion nearby. "Why you…" He growled as he took a lazy swing in Galcian's direction.

Galcian's counter sent the man's sword flying, and the crewman was left clutching at his bloodied fingers in shock for a moment before a kick to his chest sent him tumbling over the railing of the ship.

Galcian was on his way to his next victim when a burst of wind radiated outwards from Lila, knocking both him and the remaining two crewmen off their feet. Lila grit her teeth as she stepped forward to loom over the both of them, menacing them with the threat of her swords lest they try to get back up. "Thank you… for the help." She said through heavy breaths as she glanced in Galcian's direction.

He felt a little of his bloodlust clearing up, and he blinked a few times as he stumbled to his feet, looking around. Everyone who'd attacked them was either dead or pinned down by Lila or Stader. Galcian turned his attention to the helm, hurrying up the steps. He found the captain cowering by the wheel, and he pointed his sword in the sniveling man's direction once he drew close enough. "So much for that fee of yours." Galcian sneered.

"Please! Take whatever you want, just don't kill me!" The captain pleaded.

 _Pathetic,_ Galcian thought. He had half a mind to cut the captain down just for thinking he could request mercy after showing none himself.

"Galcian! Did you find him?" Lila's voice carried from the lower part of the deck, and Galcian blinked once more as it dragged him the rest of the way out of his haze of anger.

"Yeah, I did." He called back, before turning his attention back to the captain. "We're taking your ship and your supplies and leaving you on the next island we pass. Be grateful you get that much."

"Y-yes, thank you! Thank you very much…" The captain said, looking miserable.

Galcian shoved him aside so he could get at the wheel, and the captain hurried off to find somewhere else to hide. He scanned the horizon as he tested the steering for a moment before charting a course. He knew these skies like the back of his hand. Once he was sure they were heading in the right direction, he walked to the railing that bordered the bridge and leaned over it to call down to Lila and Stader.

"We're dropping these con artists off at the next island and then heading for Sailor's Isle! Keep an eye on them until they're off."

Stader nodded in his direction. Lila looked up at him and gave him a faint smile. "Aye aye."

* * *

The rest of the trip to Sailor's Isle went by without incident.

"You know, it's not every day I get to see two people who fight as well as you do." Stader observed.

Galcian was busying himself inspecting the ship. "You helped, you know."

"I was mostly bark. You two had the bite." Stader protested. "I don't really pick fights like that anymore."

Lila arched an eyebrow. "Anymore? I thought you were an information broker."

"Yeah, well… I used to be a pirate." He admitted.

"How scandalous." Galcian snarked.

Stader glanced his way. "What, you too?"

Galcian smirked back at him over his shoulder. "More of a mercenary, really. But I don't think most people would be willing to honor the distinction." He stared up at the main mast. "You know, this ship's not half bad. Even if that waste-of-time captain oversold it a bit."

Stader eyed him for a moment before turning his attention to Lila. "What about you?"

Lila stared at the information dealer for a moment before slowly turning her gaze to Galcian. She stared at him for several moments more before replying. "I'm with him."

Stader followed her gaze with brow furrowed. "I… see." He sighed. "You know, that offer for information is still open. No charge, considering you helped me out."

Galcian turned around, finally finished with his inspections. "Have you heard of a ship called the Mastiff?"

Stader frowned at him. "Oh, so you were _that_ kind of mercenary."

Galcian glared at him. "Have you heard of it or not?"

"Of course I've heard of it." Stader said, looking a little offended. "Are you looking for it?"

"Yes." Galcian said. "It was my ship up until recently, when a mutiny took it away from me."

Stader looked at him skeptically. "Why do you need it? You've got another ship of your own right now."

"Revenge."

"I'm not sure I should be getting mixed up in all this." Stader looked uncomfortable. "I mean, I have a son now…" The way he said it made it sound more like an excuse than anything else.

"You owe us the favor." Galcian pressed him.

"Fine! Fine. I'll go looking for your pirate ship." Stader pointed at him. Galcian wasn't sure whether he was trying to intimidate him or not. "But you better be grateful." He looked a few years older as he walked to the gangplank. "Meet me at the sailor's guild tomorrow afternoon. I'll have answers for you."

Galcian and Lila watched him go. Lila glanced back to Galcian once the man was out of sight. "Do you trust him?"

Galcian was still staring after him. "I think he's more of a con than he lets on. But he'll be good for it. If he's not, we've got ways of accounting for that."

Lila shuddered. "I pray it does not come to that. I have had enough treachery for a lifetime since I came to Arcadia."

Galcian chuckled dryly. "Not all you hoped it would be?"

She gave him a long, thoughtful look. "Not all of it." She said cryptically, before smiling at him once again. "But some."

* * *

"...and you call it 'loqua'?" Lila asked, staring at the faintly blue beverage in her cup. Evening had fallen over Sailor's Isle, blanketing everything in dark blue gloom.

Galcian leaned back against the wall of the tavern they'd set up outside of. "Yup. Most popular drink in Arcadia. It doesn't spoil during long voyages, and since loquat berries change to reflect the moon stone content of the soil they grow in, there's a lot of varieties, too." he explained.

"And it gets you drunk." Lila added, giving him a quizzical look from her spot in the grass next to him.

"...And it gets you drunk." He admitted with a smirk.

"You mentioned drinking as one of your hobbies." Lila noted, staring at her loqua with a newfound intensity.

"Oh, my yes. I've got a tolerance few people can match. Normally during a shore leave like this I'd be drinking myself into a stupor, but I'm pacing myself because you're new to this."

Lila frowned at him. "So I am holding you back." She lifted her mug to her lips and took several swallows of the liquid inside before setting it back down on the counter. "It is… somewhat strong." She said, sticking her tongue out to ensure it had not turned blue. "Are you sure this drink is popular?"

Galcian rolled his eyes and drained his mug with a few swift swallows before setting it down again. "You're new to it. You'll get used to it."

Seeing him drink his entire mug in one go, Lila hefted hers and drained its contents, too, before setting it down with a sharp exhale and a shiver. "O-oh my."

" _Now_ you're getting it." He said with a satisfied smile as he opened the bottle he'd bought for them and poured them each a new serving. "Want to try another?"

"I'm not certain I do…" Lila muttered, but hefted her mug all the same.

"We don't have to if you're not up to it." Galcian said with a grin of derision.

She narrowed her eyes at him before tossing back her mug's worth all at once. Another shudder ran through her, and she rubbed at her forehead with her free hand as she set her mug down. "Elders preserve…" She hissed.

"Is it really getting to you that badly?" Galcian stared at her for a moment before glancing at the bottle, trying to recall his first time getting drunk. It must've been a few years ago, when he'd first left home, but in truth, he couldn't remember it. Instead, he opted to lift a hand and pat Lila on the shoulder. "You'll get it." He offered her a wink before downing his second mug full.

He lifted the bottle to inspect it. "Looks like we've still got about half…" Lila groaned. "I promise the fun part comes soon."

Some twenty minutes later, they'd emptied the bottle, and Lila tilted her head back against the wall of the tavern to stare up at the sky. "My limbs feel warm and my head feels... funny." She murmured, confused. She turned to stare bleary-eyed at Galcian. "Is this the fun part?"

Galcian smiled at her as he let the warmth of intoxication wash over him. "For me it is."

"I feel very… very…" Lila gestured up to the sky again. "Cloudy."

"That's the first time I've heard it described, uh, quite like that." Galcian muttered, momentarily picturing his white-haired companion riding a cloud.

Lila suddenly lurched towards him, shifting onto her hip as her expression grew concerned. "Galcian." She said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Galcian flinched, blinking at her sudden intensity. "What? Is something wrong?"

Lila's head swayed slightly as she seemed to consider her words. "You… you are still sick, aren't you?" She asked, sounding a little sad.

He had been trying not to think about it since he woke up that morning. He still didn't know if Lila had been telling the truth about her healing abilities last night, and he most definitely did not want to find out she had been lying. He wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it if she had been. "So I am." He admitted. "I have been for years."

Lila stared at him, as if trying to read the truth from his eyes. "I promised to heal you."

"But can you?" Galcian felt a pit in his stomach as he asked. Perhaps she could read his doubts from his expression, however, because she chose not to answer him. Instead, she somewhat clumsily straddled his legs and set her palms against his chest.

He heard her softly beseech the moons for aid, and then the soft warmth of her magic radiated to him through his shirt. Galcian blinked at her, more distracted by her position than by the feeling of her magic.

Lila had her head down and her eyes closed as she leaned toward him, her face an expression of concentration. "I… know you're probably full of doubts and worries right now, Galcian. But I want to talk about something else right now. I want to tell you about my home." She murmured, still swaying slightly. He wondered if she might've toppled over onto her side were she not bracing herself against his chest.

Galcian took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell under Lila's hands. "Sure." He said, feeling some of his stress melt away. Her touch was a powerful thing that he still didn't fully understand. But he knew that right now, he needed it. "Tell me about your home."

"My home is a place far above the clouds. Above the lands of the silver moon. You might call it the last temple of the silver civilization." She explained. "It's presided over by a council of elders. They're survivors of the old world… maybe the only ones to survive the rains of destruction." Her expression grew sad as she mentioned the rains, and her magic briefly faltered.

But the interruption didn't last long. "They created me. To serve as their agent. To do what they could no longer do in their advanced age. They sent me to Arcadia to do their bidding."

"I… see." Galcian felt terribly stupid saying something so simple in response to her confession, but he was worried even the slightest interruption would make her change her mind. He'd been waiting for her to open up since he met her.

Her fingers curled and clung to his shirt as she continued. "I was alone there. Aside from the elders, all I learned came from books and machines. They prepared me to come to Arcadia for their mission. Taught me to fear and mistrust your kind, lest I be led astray."

She finally lifted her head and opened her eyes. They looked wet. "I hated it there, but I only realized it when I got to Arcadia. I heard birds singing, felt real warmth on my skin, saw a blue sky above me, and… and…" her lower lip quivered once. "And I met you. And I wasn't alone anymore."

Galcian still wasn't sure what to say to her. "No, you're not alone." He still felt like a simpleton saying things like that, but maybe it was what she needed to hear.

The flow of her magic abated, and she tugged at the fabric of his shirt as her fingers balled up into fists. "I don't want to go back. Tell me that's not why we're chasing the mastiff. Tell me you won't send me off in my ship once we find it." Her breath came out ragged as she blinked away tears. "Tell me I belong here. Even without the crystals."

Was _that_ what she was worried about? She'd been worrying herself sick thinking he wanted to get rid of her. He almost wanted to laugh about it, but instead he set a hand on her shoulder. "You belong in Arcadia, same as anyone else, Lila. I was never planning to send you away." He gave her a slanted smile. "I'm surprised you thought otherwise."

Lila trembled once before letting herself collapse into his chest, hugging him against the wall as her cheek rested above his heart. She was very warm, and Galcian was suddenly terribly grateful that he was drunk enough not to react overtly to that fact. "Thank you." She said.

He let his hand fall through her pale white hair. It was soft and silky still, despite all the chaos they'd been through in the last few days. He'd seen other guys do that to women before. Maybe it would comfort her.

He guessed it must have, because he felt her breathing slow as she rested against him. He didn't bother saying anything. He wasn't good with heavy situations like this. He was just grateful he hadn't somehow made things worse.

Lila lifted her head, locking eyes with him. She looked curiously vulnerable, and Galcian found himself staring. "Lila?"

She leaned forward before he could respond. Her lips pressed against his as she kissed him. Galcian blinked several times as he tried to process what was happening through the rush of hormones that went to his head.

She wasn't a very good kisser. Probably inexperienced. He wasn't kissing back, likely out of sheer surprise. And she was very, very warm and soft and curvaceous and drunk as she pressed against-

Galcian set his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. She looked surprised, then embarrassed. Her eyes left his as her cheeks turned pink. "Sorry." She said, her voice almost too quiet to pick out.

He exhaled sharply with relief as he felt some of his senses return to him. It had taken all the willpower he could muster to push her away. "Why… why did you do that?" He asked.

Lila bit her lip as she stared at the floor to one side of them. "I thought you might like it."

 _And here I was thinking that you wanted to get rid of me._

Galcian could feel a stress headache coming on. There were far too many voices at the back of his head complaining to him about what he just did. "I did. Or, I would, just…" he closed his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Not like this. Not drunk, and not out of desperation."

"But…"

He shook his head, and she quieted down. He opened his eyes and gave her his best smirk, ignoring all those nagging voices. "You can kiss me again as soon as you're sure you want it."


End file.
